A Shift of Power
by thesmokelives
Summary: Sequel to "Two Second Difference." Caine and Sam must work together to defeat their common enemy-Drake, who has forged a powerful new alliance. And Lil struggles to protect Brianna from the Human Crew, who are becoming more violent than ever.
1. Introductions

_You will have power, Drake Merwin._

Drake smirked. The phrase had become a kind of mantra to him. He heard it all day, all night. Drake thought it pathetic that Caine had gone into a frenzied coma over the voice.

Drake savoured _every word_.

_The Healer will give you power._

Drake closed his eyes, blissfully dwelling within his—and the gaiaphage's—mind. He knew the Healer was back with the gaiaphage, helping it to regain its own power, while she was wasting away within it.

Penny strutted into the living room, and sat down on the floor beside him.

Like a good dog.

"Is it speaking to you again?" She seemed in awe of both Drake and the Darkness, wanting the same, powerful connection Drake had. But she was just a stupid kid. The gaiaphage would never impart its power onto someone like her.

"Yes." He said, far more kindly than he had intended.

Penny jumped on the unexpected warmth, pulling herself onto the couch beside him. Drake moved away slightly, uncoiling his whip arm and raising it—not to attack—but simply as a warning. Penny eyed it for a moment, but her eyes went back to Drake.

"What is it saying?" She said, the awe still obvious in her voice. Drake's lips formed a small smile.

"The same thing. It hasn't changed." Drake pointed to the kitchen, and Penny ran off to get him another glass of cold water.

He could _feel_ the gaiaphage's presence, his mind reeling as he waited eagerly for its inevitable instructions. He hadn't killed in so long, and even the memory of his last kill—one of Edilio's soldiers—was fading fast.

_Killing with the power._

Oh don't worry, Drake thought.

There would be _plenty_ of that.

**Lil was just putting out the plates for lunch when Brianna arrived.**

"**Hey, what's for lunch?" Brianna looked exhausted from watching the prees, and Lil saw something that looked suspiciously like chewing gum stuck to the side of her pants.**

"**Beans and mush, and it looks like you could use it." Lil still hadn't gotten used to food in the FAYZ. A part of her—no, all of her—wished her purse had been packed with hamburgers when she had fallen face-first onto the highway. She did happen to have a Twix bar, but she had been nibbling on it sparingly, wanting to savour it.**

** Brianna slumped into one of Lil's kitchen chairs, and John walked in after her about five minutes later.**

"**You know, if you had remembered your skateboard, John, you would have gotten here a lot faster." Brianna said with a wink. John scowled.**

"**Yeah, yeah I know. Can you pass the mush?" Lil cleaned off her plate, grabbed her purse and headed out the door to take over Brianna's shift.**

"**Stay safe!"**

"**Stay safe, Lil!"**

** Stay safe. It had become the new goodbye in Perdido Beach. People had thought Lil was from Coates—she shuddered at the thought—when she first arrived. On top of that, the Human Crew had hunted her down and demanded to know if she was a freak. John had vouched for her, but they still weren't sure they believed them. Now, people still didn't trust her fully, but at least she could live out here in peace. **

**There sure was a lot going on in this town, Lil thought.**

As Lance and Zil watched the new girl walk into the Daycare, Lance felt a mix of emotions. On the one hand, there was no proof to say she wasn't a freak. The only person in town who knew her was Brianna, and she _definitely_ wasn't trustworthy. Lance himself was still suspicious. Rumours had also been circulating saying she was an adult, but he hadn't decided what to make of them yet.

But on the other hand, the guys had been really hard on her when she arrived. They had held her at gunpoint for almost an hour, but she had insisted that she didn't have any powers. Then the John kid showed up, and he had told Zil and the guys to back down. Both of the kids worked at the Daycare, and most of the kids there were normals.

If anyone was going down, it wasn't going to be a group of his own kind.

He walked up to the Daycare window, and looked inside. Lil and Amelia—a normal who Lil had hired—were watching the kids.

Walking at normal speeds.

Changing diapers with normal hands.

Acting, as far as Lance could see, totally normal.

Suddenly, Lil raised an eyebrow, turning in Lance's direction and making eye contact. Lance faltered, feeling guilty for being caught. But he quickly picked up his baseball bat and walked into the Daycare with authority. Lil looked him up and down, her eyebrow still raised.

"Would you mind not bringing that in here? I don't want the kids getting any ideas." Lance reopened the door, tossing the bat outside.

"Better?" he said, sounding slightly sarcastic.

"Yeah, and actually I have another question. Can you please not watch us through the windows? We're kind of busy, and you're kind of distracting us." Lance looked over to Amelia, who was still working, but obviously eavesdropping.

"Okay, well I was just making sure you were telling the truth earlier. You know, about not having any powers. Have a nice day," he said, exiting the daycare. He felt guilty about their conversation, but he simply picked up his baseball bat and shrugged.

It's not like he was lying.

_**AN: Okay, so it's starting kind of slow, but I guess all stories do to some extent. I hope you enjoy, because I need sleep! Have a great night, and I shall be thinking of more hilarious GONE puns for next post. Also, about my "anyfayz" pun: My boyfriend said "any person who makes a joke that is that bad, deserves to be broken up with" LOL. Goodnight! Please post reviews, I love them! :D**_


	2. Movement

"Don't worry, Lil. If any of those snot-nosed bastards come near you, they'll have to deal with the _Breeze_!" Lil was still shaken up from the incident at the Daycare. She hated the idea of being watched, and she felt like nothing she did—even within her own home—was private.

Brianna, meanwhile, had been hanging around more than usual. Lil suspected she was afraid to leave her alone. Lil tried to reassure herself that the Human Crew had bigger things to worry about, but the feeling of being watched never really left her alone.

Lil also felt uneasy around her new neighbours. The two—Brianna had explained—had been in charge at Coates, and had actually been _friends_ with Drake Merwin. Lil winced. She had gone over to introduce herself, but nobody had answered. And after Brianna explained who they were, she never wanted to go back.

And on the other side, lived a boy named Hunter. He seemed relatively harmless, but Lil reminded herself that he had killed someone in town. And if it came to a confrontation, she wasn't going to stick around and ask for details.

Welcome to Outcast Row, Lil thought with a smile.

After tidying up the living room, Lil sat out on the back porch, looking up at the stars that were never really stars. She thought of her mother, and how distraught she must be. Losing one daughter had been bad enough, but two? She wasn't strong-willed, and Lil wondered who Brianna had gotten her inner strength from. She wished she could contact her mother somehow. Tell her that everything was okay.

Well, as okay as anything could be in the FAYZ.

Lil sighed.

Snap.

"Who's there?" Lil asked, barely over a whisper. She saw something moving at the back of their yard, but it was too dark to see what. She jumped up, running to the line of bushes that hugged the back fence. Lil thrust her hands into them, pushing away brambles and thorns that covered her hands in dozens of tiny cuts.

But the shuffling had moved into the woods. Lil squinted, but it was far too dark to see anything. She contemplated running after it, but she knew her neighbour went hunting at night.

And after knowing his power, Lil sure as hell wasn't going into those woods.

Instead, she walked back inside, making sure to lock the door behind her. She knocked on John's door to say goodnight, and heard people talking inside. Lil panicked for only an instant before John told her to come in. Inside, sitting on John's bed, was a boy Lil had never seen before. He and John were sitting in a mess of paper, pencils, and other art supplies.

"Lil, this is Rodger. He's teaching me how to sketch portraits." John held one up as proof. It wasn't stellar, but it was much better than anything Lil could have done. She was more athletic than artsy. Rodger waved, and held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you. John told me all about you, you know, poofing _into_ the FAYZ and everything." Lil was slightly annoyed that John had been telling people, but she didn't really care. Rodger's greeting had been one of the friendliest since she had arrived at Perdido Beach, so she returned his handshake and smiled.

"Nice to meet you, too."

"**I'm not going over there." **

**Diana groaned at him, tossing the instant pancake mix around in the bowl. They had found the box in a small, locked cellar in the basement, and the thought of hot pancakes were making both of their stomachs howl.**

"**Just do it, Caine. You already used our ration for the day, so unless you want to eat pancake powder, I suggest you go over there and ask for some water."**

"**Why don't you do it? Asking for cooking ingredients is a…woman… thing to do, isn't it?"**

**Caine ducked to avoid the wooden spoon Diana hurled in his direction. He scowled.**

"**Fine. I'm going, Ladris. But I swear to God, if you throw something at me again, I'm going to throw **_**you**_**." Caine slammed the door on his way out, rattling most of the windows on the first floor.**

** It wasn't a hard choice to decide whose house to go to. On one side, there was the one girl Caine didn't know, and some kid. On the other side was the retard who could bake people's brains.**

** He felt so damn awkward knocking on their door. Caine Soren, who had once been Perdido Beach's fearless leader, was now knocking on some kid's door to beg for water.**

**He hated Sam.**

** Caine frowned when the girl answered the door. He had been hoping to intimidate the kid into giving him some water, but the girl was taller than he was. He felt like a fucking idiot.**

"**I need water." He said bluntly, keeping his face expressionless. The girl gave him a curious look, then her eyes widened with realization. "You-"**

"**Wonderful. You know who I am. So get me some water before I throw your ass through the second floor." The girl looked angry, but eventually motioned Caine inside. He felt a pang of irritation as he noticed the girl's house was more elaborately decorated than his own.**

"**Where did you get all of this stuff?" He asked, still angry for a number of reasons. Lil turned, holding an empty water jug.**

"**Listen, I'm already giving you your water, so if you don't mind, I would really rather not talk to you." Caine fumed, and threw the girl against the door of the fridge. Not enough to kill her, but enough to stop her from mouthing off. She glared at him, and rubbed her arm, but didn't say anything. She filled up the jug halfway, and tossed it in Caine's direction. He didn't need to catch it; instead, it floated about a foot away from the girl, hanging motionless. Caine brought it towards him, slamming the door on his way out.**

**And all so Diana could have her fucking pancakes.**

Orc sat outside, hating his house. Ever since that kid died in there, he hadn't been able to go back inside for more than a few minutes.

He and Howard had been at the plaza, helping to clear away wreckage from around the church when it happened. People had been rushing up to him, angry that he hadn't been there to do anything. But Orc was just trying to help Astrid. She wanted the church cleaned up, and Howard had told him there was a six-pack in it for him. But it seemed no matter what he did, people still hated him. For killing Bette, for not being able to harvest enough cabbage, for not saving enough people in the fire, and now for letting Nick die, and Drake escape.

Those were the reasons he drank. To be honest, Orc hated the taste of alcohol, but he couldn't let his mind dwell on all of his failures. He stood up slowly, taking long strides towards the water. He wanted to move, but Sam had told him Perdido Beach was running low on houses, and that they couldn't spare one for Orc. Along the way, kids gave him dirty looks, and one little kid even pointed at him, yelling, "He knocked down my house!"

It seemed no matter what Orc did, he would never be forgiven.

_**AN: Thank you for the reviews, whoever reviewed. I can't actually see them because I get "**__**Story Not Found, Unable to locate story with id of 6625748." Whenever I try to look up my story. If anyone else is having this problem, please contact the website support. I already have, but the more the merrier. Also, I keep feeling like Caine's part was too light, but I guess he was still a pretty big douche. OH RIGHT! This is for you, Penny:**_

_**You remind me of the babe.**_

_**What babe?**_

_**The babe with the power.**_

_**What power?**_

_**The power of voodoo!**_

_**Who do?**_

_**You do!**_

_**:)**_


	3. Hatred

Lance woke up to the sounds of Zil snoring. They had fallen asleep playing cards, the remnants of their game now strewn across the already-messy living room. Lance stood up and stretched. Lisa was outside keeping guard, not that the little prick was much good anyway. After cracking his knuckles, he decided to take a quick walk around town. He grabbed his trademark baseball bat and tossed it over his shoulder.

The night air was—as always—cold and refreshing to Lance. He strolled around the streets of Perdido Beach, giving hateful looks to any kids stupid enough to look his way. He found an abandoned, half-burnt house on Grant Street, and began smashing out the leftover windows, enjoying the power he felt pulsating through him. Then he kept walking, hoping he would find something else to destroy.

He wasn't sure how long he had been walking, but Lance eventually found himself on the outside of town. He had been in this area the night before, but not just on an average stroll. Five houses stood before him: Two unoccupied. The one closest to him was occupied by Caine and Diana, two people he hoped he never crossed. The one after that housed Lil and John, who were both well-known to be normals. Well, John was. The Human Crew was still unsure about the girl. And on the far side, was a boy Lance hated more than anyone on Perdido Beach—Hunter.

Having already survived the poof, Lance chuckled at the thought of Hunter undergoing the same thing. His stupid brain wouldn't know what to make of anything, wouldn't know it was just a trick, and would probably fall right into its trap.

Fucking moron.

Since he was already in the area, he decided to check in on the girl. She may not have used any powers in public, but _inside _her own home, that was a different issue. He tossed his baseball bat in the bushes outside her house, remembering the look on her face the last time she saw it. He knocked on the door, and glared at the kid who opened the door.

He wished he had his bat back.

"Go get the girl," Lance grunted, pointing through John and into the house. John nodded and called out for Lil, who came down the stairs in pyjamas and a bathrobe. Lance smiled, despite the obvious distaste she exhibited towards him.

"What do you want?" She asked, looking around him for a weapon. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow sceptically when she couldn't find one.

"Hey, aren't you even going to invite me inside?" She rolled her eyes. Her hair was damp, but Lance didn't think any houses had showers anymore.

"Uhm, did you just get back from the beach?" He asked. He wanted to make her feel at ease around him. It would make it easier in case he needed to attack. The boy had already left, feeling the tension in the room. She rolled her eyes again. He was really starting to get annoyed by that, but he didn't show it.

"No, I've just been having nightmares about you and your goons busting down my door and killing me in my sleep." Her face remained dead serious, and Lance wasn't sure if she had a really dry sense of humour, or if she was pushing him. He chose the former, laughing softly.

"Trust me; you really don't have to worry about that. We aren't as bad as people make us out to be, and we definitely wouldn't do that to you." He kept the same inviting expression, but the girl rubbed the back of her neck, still looking annoyed. She met his gaze, though her eyes looked harder than his, as if she was looking for something.

"Then why are you here?"

** The boy—Lance, she remembered—floundered only for an instant, but enough that Lil could see he was lying. **

"**I just wanted to make sure you didn't have some sort of hidden… 'talent' that you were keeping a secret. You know how it is." Lil was furious this time.**

"**No, you know what? I don't know how it is. Explain this to me, Lance. You're here in my house, obviously not because you're looking for powers. Are you saying that you would automatically switch from trying to impress me to beating me senseless **_**just**_** because I have an ability that might make my life **_**a little bit**_** easier?" **

**Her face was red; she could feel it. She was standing a few feet from him, her hands balled into fists. Lil was shaking uncontrollably, but she didn't care how she looked to this pathetic creep. He went from smiling softly to completely lost, staring at her for some sort of an answer.**

"**You want to know something else? That creep Drake, you want to know what he had planned for Brianna, my **_**little sister**_**? He strung wire, Lance. He was waiting for her to run through a doorway, so he could watch her body slide onto the floor in three different pieces! Who the **_**fuck**_** do you consider the freak then, Lance!" **

**Lil's eyes were watering from rage, but she didn't once back down. Lance still just looked at her, lost. He shook his head slightly, searching for something to say.**

"**I- seriously, you-" Lil glared at him, jabbing her index finger in the direction of the door.**

"**Get out."**

Astrid, for the first time in a long time, didn't know what to do. After healing everyone from Mary's Big Jump, Lana had simply vanished. Well, not simply, Astrid thought. She knew where she was.

The real question was, did anyone dare try and bring her back?

She really didn't want to bother Sam with this. He had very little on his plate at the moment, and she didn't want to be the one to barge in on him with more problems. For once, Astrid thought, just let Sam be Sam. She wasn't on the council anymore, but she still had to deal with a lot.

No.

Not this time.

Astrid, for once in her life, was going to say no. She wasn't going to be Astrid the Genius, or Astrid with all of the answers, or Astrid who makes Sam's life harder. She would deal with Lana later, but for now, she needed to help Sam rest. She walked over to his bedroom door and knocked softly, praying that he wasn't asleep yet. She cursed under her breath as he groaned softly.

"Sam, it's Astrid." She said, feeling far more confident than she felt.

She heard another small groan, but this one hurt. Sam thought she was delivering bad news, which, she admitted, she usually was.

But not this time.

She kept a smile on her face, and carefully opened his door. He was wrapped up in a mass of tangled blankets and sheets, and he turned to face her.

"What is it." He asked, sounding angry. She could tell she wasn't really wanted there. Sam was rarely able to sleep, and Astrid suspected she had disturbed one of those few, precious moments. She was happy Sam couldn't really see her in the dark of her bedroom as she bit down on her bottom lip, hard.

"Nothing Sam. Just wanted to say goodnight. Sleep well."

The tears were already rolling down her cheek as he closed the door quickly, not allowing him to respond.

Not wanting to take away any more of his time.

_**AN: Wow, depressing end to a chapter, huh? D: Oh well, last chapter was a little lighter, so I had to make up for it. And for all of you going, "OMG WHERE IS DRAKE?" Eh, he's around. Doing what, you ask? Oh, I can't tell you that! But you'll all know soon enough, :) Please review, I think this chapter went well, but IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I THINK. You guys matter. :D Also, if you want to know how I'm trying to portray Penny, think of Knives Chao from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. That is literally exactly how I think of her. XD**_


	4. Attack

"She's a moof. I saw it myself, she's a fucking freak."

Lance was still fuming by the time he got back to the compound. Lil had made him look like an idiot, and he wasn't about to let it go unpunished. So he had rushed back to Zil as quickly as he could, to make sure the girl didn't cause any more problems.

"What can she do?" Zil asked, hanging onto Lance's every word. They hadn't persecuted any freaks in a long time, and Lance smiled as he peaked Zil's interest.

"I don't know how to explain it; she just gets into people's heads! Puts thoughts into their minds and stuff. She could make us think it's a good idea to jump off a cliff if she wanted to!" Zil didn't need much more convincing, not that Lance thought he would. Even though he was their leader, he wasn't very smart, and he lunged at the opportunity to torment someone new.

Lance had to agree with him on that one.

Zil grabbed two baseball bats, tossing one to Lance. He woke Lisa up, despite the fact that she was supposed to be guarding the place. They headed outside, walking the same route Lance had on his previous visits. Zil paused as they reached the house.

"Hey man, isn't that the King Freak who lives next door to her?" Lance cursed under his breath. He had forgotten about them.

"Dude they don't matter," he said, trying to sound casual. "They don't even know the chick, why the hell would they care?" Zil nodded, and Lance could see on his face that he didn't want to seem like a coward in front of him.

They scoped out the house, and saw the only light was coming from a Sammy Sun in the middle of the living room. It was almost one in the morning, so Lance assumed everyone in the house was asleep. They checked all of the doors, but sure enough, she had locked them.

Zil nodded towards the backyard, and they hopped back over the fence. Using the butt of a baseball bat, Lance broke a small hole in the sliding glass doors that lead to the back porch. They both paused, waiting several minutes in painful silence before they continued. They opened the door slowly and walked into the living room.

Everything looked the same as when Lance had been there only hours before. Lil's purse sat on the dining room table, and Lance grabbed it, rummaging through the contents.

"Zil! Oh my God, man, she's got a chocolate bar in here!" Zil ran over as Lance pulled out the Twix bar, which only had a couple bites out of it. Zil threw his arm around Lance and patted him on the back.

"Awesome! Does she have any cash?" Lance gave him a curious look, and Zil continued. "Hey, when the FAYZ comes down, do _you_ want to be poor?" Lance nodded, and took out the girl's wallet. She had about fifty bucks in cash, so they grabbed it, cheering quietly.

"Dude, look at this!"

Lance was still holding Lil's wallet, but this time his eyes were on a piece of ID that was sitting in a clear pouch on the inside of it. Zil squinted. They both walked over to the Sammy Sun to get a better look, just in case they were wrong. They weren't.

"She's eighteen."

Lance didn't know what to make of this. Nobody over fifteen lived in the FAYZ. There was no way. But then he looked around the living room, remembering what she had said to him…

"Zil, this changes nothing. She's still a freak, no exceptions." Zil rubbed his forehead, looking dumbfounded. But he nodded nonetheless.

Lance shoved the wallet into his pocket as proof, and picked up his bat. The house was new, so they didn't have to worry about creaking stairs. When they were at the top of the stairwell, there were four doors. One, Lance saw, was a bathroom. Another one was open, so he used his bat to open the door.

"It's just a spare bedroom."

**Lil's heart was beating so fast, it hurt.**

** She heard voices outside her door, and knew immediately who it was. And as much as she hated to admit it, she knew it was completely her fault. She wasn't a naturally angry person, and she definitely wasn't one for yelling. But her stupid, impulsive self had decided that she should be. **

**Why hadn't she been smarter? **

**Why couldn't she have looked five minutes ahead and seen that Lance wasn't going to just take her hateful speech and move on?**

** She pulled the blankets over her head, and slowed her breathing as much as she could, but it didn't work. Her breathing was erratic, and the pain in her chest didn't help. Her fists wrapped around the blankets, trying to stop herself from shaking. The only thing she could hope for at this point was that they would find her before they found John.**

**They did.**

**She heard her bedroom door open slowly, and two pairs of footsteps enter. She was hyperventilating, trying to calm herself down and failing miserably. She instinctively felt that one of the boys was now standing over her, so she kicked through the blankets as hard as she could. She heard a grunt, and tried desperately to untangle herself from the bedding, but she couldn't. **

**She could now make out two figures: One was Lance, and the other was some kid she had seen in the plaza once. They both wore smug grins, and were holding baseball bats.**

**Oh God.**

** Lance wrapped his hand around Lil's hair, dragging her off of her bed. The other boy tried to grab her feet, but she ended up kicking him square in the gut. He hit her in the shin with the baseball bat, and she screamed. He grabbed her feet, tying them tightly with a rough length of rope. Lance was still dragging her by the hair, pulling her into the hallway.**

"**Lil!" John was standing at the end of the hallway, his voice and face full of dread. Lance looked at him and pointed the bat in his direction.**

"**Stay away, kid! This isn't about you!" **

**John ignored him, running toward Zil and trying to jump at him. Zil laughed, pushing John off of him, taking aim, and hitting him square in the back of the head. He fell to the floor in a heap, unmoving.**

**No.**

** Lil tried to hold onto anything along the hallway, all the time screaming as loud as she could, hoping that someone would hear her. She cried out again as she felt part of a fingernail find purchase in one of the doorframes. She couldn't kick, but her arms were wild, trying to take as much skin from Lance's arms as possible.**

"Wake up!" Caine grunted, pulling a pillow over his head.

But he still heard the screaming.

He jumped out of bed, looking to Diana, but she looked just as confused as he did.

"What's going on out there? Is it Drake?" She shook her head.

"I don't think so, he would have come for us first, right?" She looked to him, and Caine could see she was hoping for reassurance. He couldn't give it to her.

"Unless someone got in his way first."

They both ran downstairs, into the front yard. There was nobody outside. The street was completely empty, but they still heard screaming. Diana took off towards the backyard, and Caine followed, not wanting to separate from her. He saw the chaos before she did, and he pushed her onto the ground. She protested, but Caine pointed through the fence.

The girl from next door was bound by her ankles and wrists, lying in the middle of her backyard. She was screaming frantically, trying to wiggle her way out of the knots, but it wasn't working. Two boys were standing over her with baseball bats. Caine stood up, walking back towards his house.

"What are you doing?" Diana hissed, walking after him.

"It's not Drake, it's not my problem." Caine said matter-of-factly.

** Diana didn't know what to say. She was contemplating whose side to take when she heard the impact of the first blow.**

"**Caine, damn it, just throw them into the woods or something! I'm not listening to that all night," She added, not wanting to sound too sympathetic. Caine gave her a questioning look.**

"**No. I'm going back to bed. Shut the window if it's that much of a problem."**

**Another blow.**

**Diana cringed.**

** She looked to Caine, who was already heading back upstairs. Instead of following him, Diana bolted, slamming the door behind her. She ran as fast as she could, hoping to at least get to the backyard by the time Caine got to her. Luckily, she managed to hop over the fence that divided their yards, falling right into the middle of the attack.**

** The girl was covered in blood, and her screams had turned into whimpers and cries. The guys looked to Diana, angry.**

"**Who the fuck are you?" they said, advancing towards her. They raised their bats, poised to strike.**

**That's right, Diana thought. Attack me.**

** The one boy planted a blow on Diana's shoulder, and she fell to the ground. The pain was blinding. But as she looked up, the boys were no longer looking at her, but over the fence into her backyard.**

**Then they were gone.**

** Caine had thrown them into the woods, a sickening crash meeting her ears. Diana felt herself being lifted off the ground and brought back into her own yard.**

"**What the hell was that? Are you retarded?" Caine spat, pushing her back towards the house.**

** Diana looked back to the girl. She was staring right at her. She looked like she was unable to speak, but Diana thought she saw her mouth the words 'thank you' before Caine pushed her inside.**

_**AN: Hooray for the longest chapter in existence! Well, maybe not existence, but in my existence. Thank you to luckycharms92, Unlucky World Shaker, and SaneLunatic, as always, for reviewing. Also, a shoutout to my grandparents—that's right, you read correctly—who are apparently going to read this. Please don't hate me for swearing and writing about death and violence. XD Anyway, review! I can't express how awesome it is when I read them. :D**_


	5. Aftermath

Rodger packed up his art supplies, preparing for the trek across town. Today, he hoped to teach John some shading techniques, and maybe even try drawing more than headshots. Justin ran down the stairs, carrying a bag of his own supplies.

"You ready to go see Brianna?" Justin nodded, smiling. He ran to the door and opened it for Rodger, the pair walking outside into the sun. Rodger took Justin's hand in his, and they set off together, purposefully avoiding the beach.

"Hey Rodger!" Brianna waved as he walked into the daycare. Rodger hadn't minded Mary, but he couldn't help but notice the Daycare was running much more smoothly since Brianna had taken over. Not that the comparison was fair, with Brianna's abilities.

"Hey Brianna. Do you mind watching Justin? I'm going over to John's again." Brianna waved her hand, signaling that she didn't mind. "Thanks. I'll be back soon!" Rodger knew that Justin wouldn't be any trouble for her. He never was.

Rodger felt good, but his mood dipped as he was forced to walk through the remains of the fire. He and Justin had moved, obviously, but the memories still weren't pleasant as he passed the charred houses, a sense of abandonment following him the entire time.

His mood brightened when he saw John's house. John was really fun to be around, even if he was a few years younger. He didn't mind teaching him about art—in fact, Rodger suspected something like that might even be his job, if the FAYZ never existed. He knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

Odd, Rodger thought. John said he would be home. He knocked again, but there was still no answer. He peeked through the window.

Something was wrong.

The living room was littered with broken glass, and the wallpaper had what looked like claw marks in it. Rodger threw his bag on the front step, and tried to open the door, but it was locked. He noticed the back door of the house was open, and immediately ran into the backyard.

"_Lil_!" Rodger howled, flying over the chain-link fence that enclosed her yard.

Lil was lying face down in a pool of dirt and blood, unconscious. Her ankles and wrists had been bound, and Rodger spotted multiple bruises on her skin, ranging from black, green, purple and every colour in between. He kneeled down beside her, checking her pulse.

She was alive!

"Lil," Rodger whispered, tapping her on the shoulder. Her head moved an inch, so Rodger began shaking her harder, calling out her name. She began moving more, and Rodger realized she couldn't turn around on her own. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her, causing her to start wailing in pain.

"Sorry Lil. I had to. Where's John? What happened to you?" Lil looked at him, a look of desperation in her eyes.

No.

"It's okay, Lil. It's okay. I'll go look for him, alright?" The expression on her face didn't change as John raced into the living room, looking for his friend.

He found him at the top of the stairs, also unconscious. Rodger didn't see any blood, but he knew that meant nothing. He shook John, hoping for some sign of movement.

Nothing.

He shook him again, calling out his name.

Nothing.

Rodger was screaming now, shaking John like a ragdoll.

His eyelids fluttered open, and Rodger froze, hoping it wasn't just his imagination.

**Brianna was at town hall in a matter of seconds, looking for Sam. She saw Albert sitting in the room the council usually met in, writing something down.**

"_**Where's Sam**_**!" She screamed, her panicked eyes meeting his. Albert pointed in the direction of Sam's office, and she was gone.**

"Sam, it's Lil and John. The Human Crew. If you don't kill them, I swear to God I will."

Sam had no idea what Brianna was talking about, but he could tell by the look on her face it wasn't good.

"What happened?"

"They nearly killed her! Rodger found her tied up in her backyard, almost bludgeoned to death! And John was unconscious inside, with a massive bruise on his head." Brianna's face looked urgent, and Sam could feel the pressure already. The pressure to make a decision.

"Where are they now? Are they stable?" Brianna shook her head.

"About as stable as they could be without Lana." Sam winced. He knew something like this would happen, he just wished it wouldn't.

"Sam, please," Brianna begged, "I've already lost her once. Don't let them take her again." She broke down on the floor, and Astrid, who hadn't said anything since Brianna's arrival, went over to comfort her.

"Get away from me, Astrid. It's your fault they're not dead already. Sam wanted to kill these freaks a long time ago, but _no_!" She shot a hard look at Astrid, before she turned back to Sam.

"_Please_!"

"**They aren't going to come back, Caine. They don't have a death wish."**

** Diana and Caine were sitting in their backyard, sipping water and watching the woods. Hunter had brought them some meat that morning, after some kid had shown up and found Lil and her friend. Diana had worn it for trying to help her, but the last thing they needed was Sam and everyone snooping around, wondering how a girl died next door, while she and Caine hadn't heard a thing.**

** Now, Caine was looking for the two thugs from last night. They had probably survived, but Diana could tell that Caine was eager for them to reappear, so he could finish the job.**

"**Hmm, I guess." He squinted into the woods one more time before heading inside. Diana leaned back in her lawn chair, closing her eyes and letting herself unwind. The moment was short lived, as she felt a whoosh of air beside her. She opened her eyes, glaring at Brianna, some kid Drake had plastered back at Coates. Diana glared, and was surprised to find the girl return the look.**

"**What do you want?" Diana asked, trying to sound as harsh as possible. Brianna rolled her eyes, softening her look a little bit.**

"**Listen, I don't like you. Or your dumbass boyfriend. But Lil told me what you did, so I thought it was only proper to thank you. But if you're too high and mighty to accept my thanks, I will kindly retract it." Diana scoffed.**

"**Well, that has to be one of the rudest 'thank yous' I've ever heard." Brianna shot her one more glare before disappearing.**

"**You're welcome!" Diana yelled, knowing the girl wouldn't hear her. Caine walked back outside, looking around suspiciously.**

"**Who was that?" He asked, still looking around the yard.**

"**Nobody important." Diana said casually, closing her eyes again.**

_**AN: Thank you to everyone for reviewing, and to Strawberry-Fluff, who has never reviewed me before. ^^ Thanks! :D And I am SO SORRY Drake wasn't in this one. I wanted him to be, I really did. But the next part I have planned for him won't be until the end of next chapter, and maybe even the one after that. :( Please don't hate me. D: And review! :D**_


	6. Execution

_**AN: Don't apologize for reviewing. EVER. Yes, Unlucky World Shaker, I'm Unlucky World Shaking my fist at you right now (LOL). I love reviews! ALWAYS! Also, for those of you wondering how I can update so fast, it's a combination of not being in school, not having a life, kicking ass at grammar (therefore not having a beta), and typing really fast. :P Also, DRAKE IS IN THIS CHAPTER. YAY! Now you all don't have to hate me. :) BUT! I have school on Monday, so updates won't be as often. :( Sorry for the long note, enjoy!**_

Sam didn't like this. Not at all.

But there was no other way to get Lana back. Sam, Edilio, Brianna—who had insisted on coming—and two other kids Edilio had rounded up were packing up one of the few vehicles that still had gasoline. Sam had purposefully avoided asking Caine to come along. Sure, he would be an asset, but the further away Caine was from the Darkness, the better.

"Edilio, I really don't like the idea of these kids coming with us. They don't know what they're getting into. Do you even know them?" Edilio shrugged.

"Man, nobody wanted to come. These two were the only ones who took the cash." Sam didn't like the idea of their only soldiers fighting for money, but he didn't have much of a choice.

The five of them climbed into the car, driving in silence. Everyone took notice of Coates as they drove by, the gate having fallen over a long time ago. Weeds encroaching on it, pulling it further towards the earth. Consuming it.

After what seemed like hours, they pulled up in front of the mine entrance. Sam cringed as he remembered the events of his last visit. He cleared his throat, and everyone looked to him. They paid attention as they unloaded the truck, picked up their weapons, and clicked the safeties off.

"Okay. Uhm, you all know the plan. Brianna is going to run in and see what's going on in there. We go from there." Sam rubbed his forehead. It wasn't a good plan, and he knew that. He just hoped Edilio wouldn't have to dig any more graves when they returned. Brianna took out a pair of night vision goggles Computer Jack had given her, and Edilio handed her a gun.

"Edilio. I'm not going to need this. Really." Edilio shook his head and pushed the gun towards her, and she rolled her eyes, taking it. Sam nodded, and she was gone.

She returned about five seconds later, her eyes wild.

"What did you see?"

"A lot of stuff. She's down there though. Not sure if she saw me, but she's down there. About a two minute walk for you guys." Sam nodded, looking around to his allies. They all looked back, waiting for their next instructions.

"Well I guess we need some people to go get her. She's probably going to put up a bit of a fight, so we need to be prepared for that. Any volunteers?" Sam asked, sounding slightly sarcastic. To his surprise, the two kids Edilio brought with him stepped forward.

"Jasper," he said, then motioning to the other boy. "And that's David. We'll go." Sam wasn't used to people being this willing to throw themselves into dangerous situations, but he shrugged. This wasn't the time to start questioning.

"Uhm, okay I guess. Grab the rope, and one of you take the night vision goggles. Good luck." The boys gathered their supplies and ran inside. Brianna stood still for a moment, then groaned loudly.

"This is ridiculous. I'm going in."

And she was gone.

Sam and Edilio sat on the hood of the car, waiting. About ten seconds after Brianna ran into the cave, they heard screaming.

Lana.

Sam was right, then. She wasn't going out without a fight.

"You leave now." Sam and Edilio slid off of the car and turned around. About half a dozen coyotes stood before them. Sam turned his palms face out, poised to attack.

"We aren't leaving. You are." Sam's hands erupted in an explosion of light, killing the coyote who had spoken to him. The rest growled at Sam, but ran, not wanting to meet the same fate as their comrade.

Edilio kept watch for more coyotes. Lana was still screaming a horrible, savage sound as Brianna, Jasper and David pulled her out of the cave. Brianna's face was covered in claw marks, and Jasper had a black eye. Sam ran up to Lana, and helped the group heave her into the backseat. It was cramped with Sam, Edilio, Brianna, Lana and the boys, but they made it work. Brianna had offered to simply run back, but Sam didn't want to risk it.

The group drove back to Perdido Beach, the only sound being Lana's cries and attempts at escaping. Eventually, her body went limp, and the journey became even more silent, leaving everyone within the car to dwell on their own thoughts.

Sam was just thinking he was lucky.

Lucky one of his plans actually worked.

**Zil was reading a magazine when two of his goons ran into his living room. He shot them a dirty look.**

"**Don't you idiots know how to knock?" the two boys were tripping over each other to speak, so Zil pointed to Jay, who stepped forward proudly.**

"**What happened? Did it work?" Zil asked him, motioning for him to spit it out.**

"**We know how to take down Sam."**

"**All of the freaks!" Dave, the other boy, chimed in.**

**Zil smiled and stood up.**

"**So what happened?" **

**Zil's smile only grew as he heard of their success. The trip to the mine, the Darkness, the reason he had let the Healer go… He had heard rumours that the Darkness gave people power, and now he knew it was true. As they finished their story, Zil clapped his hands together. **

"**So, what did it tell us to do?" Jasper stepped in front of Dave, cutting him off.**

"**We have to steal a boat."**

Lil had never felt relief like this. Lana's hand stayed on her for hours, healing broken legs, cracked ribs, and dozens of bruises and fractures. After what seemed like days, Lil sat up, hugging Lana as hard as she could. The girl didn't hug back, so Lil took her by the shoulders, looking her in the eye.

"Thank you."

John was next, though his injuries weren't as severe. After about ten minutes, the two left together, walking the streets nervously. People gave her suspicious looks, pointing and whispering when her and John walked by. Lil was confused. She hadn't done anything wrong.

She cursed when she found her wallet was gone.

Of course, Lil thought, they know I'm eighteen.

Lil spent the day cleaning up the house; throwing out broken glass, shredded wallpaper, and dried blood. When she went to clean up the backyard, she saw the girl who had saved her lounging on her deck. Lil walked over to the fence they shared, but the girl turned, throwing a harsh glare in her direction. Her face burned red, and Lil walked quickly back inside. She knew the girl—whose name she had forgotten—wasn't known for being kind, but Lil thought she could at least properly thank her.

Brianna ran into her living room, waving. When Lil gave her a confused look, she smiled.

"Glad to see you're feeling better. John has some council stuff to do, so I figured you and I could have some sister bonding time." Lil returned her sister's smile. It was a weak façade, and both of them knew it. Brianna didn't want Lil being left alone, and Lil had to admit she didn't want to be left alone either.

Lil nodded to the plastic shopping bag Brianna had brought with her, and her sister smiled, pulling out bottle after bottle of nail polish, nail polish remover, and makeup. The two girls looked at each other, and immediately started laughing. They knew how silly it was, painting fingernails and putting on makeup, but Lil admitted she thought it was a great idea.

The FAYZ had taken away a lot of little joys, but this reminded Lil of a better time. She unscrewed a bottle of bright yellow nail polish, and grabbed her sister's hand.

For the first time in a long time, Lil and Brianna felt like normal teenagers.

_You will have power._

** Drake was getting annoyed. The gaiaphage had been telling him that for almost a week, but no changes had been made. Penny had been unsuccessful at finding a way off of the island, and Drake was getting more and more impatient. Penny even sported a small gash running from her cheek to the middle of her forehead, a symbol of that very impatience. Drake was pacing up and down the living room, whip hand twitching with irritation.**

"**Drake! Drake! Hurry, come outside!" It was just past midnight, and Penny had been sweeping the island for signs of anything useful. Drake walked outside, ready to be unimpressed. She was running towards the house, arms flailing like a retarded monkey. Drake scowled. He hated pairing up with her, but he didn't have much of a choice.**

"**What?" he growled, his upper lip twitching in distaste.**

**She motioned for him to follow her, so he did, walking through the woods to the edge of the island. Drake momentarily thought how funny it would be to push Penny, and watch her frail, useless body smash onto the rocks. Penny tapped him on the shoulder, bringing him back to reality.**

"**What do you want?" His growl was more prominent now, but Penny took no notice as she pointed into the night. A small light was approaching the island. Slowly, but surely.**

**It was a boat.**


	7. Discovery

_**AN: Woo! Another chapter! Thank you as always to my reviewers, you know who you are and you're awesome. Also, just finished reading the book I am Number Four. Great book, I highly recommend it. :) I am going back to residence tomorrow, so I won't have time to write a chapter until probably Monday night (boo!). But there will be mucho action in the next chapter, so no worries. ;) Enjoy!**_

Zil still didn't quite understand why the Darkness had asked them to steal a boat, but he didn't care. Lance told him the power they needed was on one of the three islands within the FAYZ, so they had stolen one of Sam's emergency boats and headed off around midnight. Zil, Lance, Jay, and Dave rode in silence, the only sound being the hum of the boat's motor and the sound of usually-still water lapping along the sides of the boat.

Zil looked around at his crew, feeling proud. Lance was wearing a look of hard concentration, staring out into the dark as if calculating what lay beyond their vision. Dave was smiling softly, dipping his baseball bat into the water and letting it bounce along the surface of the waves. Zil couldn't see Jay too clearly, but he could tell that he was shaking, trying to create a tough exterior and failing. He had left Lisa to keep guard again. He knew she was getting sick of him, and she had even thrown Lance a few suggestive looks, but Zil didn't care. He never really liked her anyway.

As they approached the first island, Zil frowned. He looked to Dave and Jay, whose expressions hadn't changed since they left the marina.

"How are we going to know what island this 'power' lies on?" Zil knew he sounded a little sarcastic, but he wanted an answer. He was tired, and was beginning to feel annoyed for wasting this much time for no reward.

"Shh..." Dave said, carefully putting a finger to his lips. Zil was irritated by how placid he seemed. He looked like he was taking a fucking mud bath, and they were supposed to take down Perdido Beach! But, against his instincts, he kept quiet. Dave and Jay had risked themselves going down into the mine shaft, and were the only two who knew what the Darkness wanted.

"Woah, what is that?" Jay said, looking nervously into the distance.

Zil could see it too. It looked like a small torch had been lit on the island, creating a small beacon beckoning towards one of the islands. Zil told Lance to steer the boat in its direction, and the group watched as the light became larger with each moment.

"How do we know that's where the power is?" Jay asked, looking and sounding like a whimp. Zil gave a short, hard laugh.

"Well unless you have a better plan, I would shut your mouth."

They continued on in silence until it was obvious that the beacon they were seeing wasn't a torch. Someone had set fire to part of the island, and it seemed as if an entire chunk of it was going to be reduced to nothing but ash. Lance drove as close to the fire as he could without the boat hitting the cliff that surrounded it.

"I don't see anything, Zil. Maybe the fire wasn't connected at all. Could have been, I don't know, a fluke or something." Zil glared at Jay. The kid was really starting to piss him off. Zil squinted hard, and at first he almost agreed with Jay—there was nothing on the island he could see that was out of the ordinary. But just as Lance was about to turn the boat around, they saw something lowering itself down the cliff and towards the boat.

"There are people on it!" Jay cried, pointing to a small pulley system. The basket contained what looked like two or three people, and Zil furrowed his brow in thought.

"Do we let them in?" he asked, looking from Dave to Jay. Zil saw Dave's lips curl into a sickeningly dark smile, the whites of his eyes shining through the dark towards him.

"Yes," he snarled, "we let them in."

Zil had to admit he was a little creeped out by Dave, but he didn't say anything. Zil needed more people on his team like Dave and Lance, who looked like they might giggle with anticipation. The basket was about ten feet from the bottom when it swayed slightly. One figure toppled out of the basket, cursing before a nauseating crack hit the air. The girl—or who Zil assumed was a girl—who was sitting in the basket screamed, but to everyone's surprise the second figure stood precariously on a rock, leaning against the rocks.

"You moron? Do you not know how to use a fucking pulley? Christ, that hurt!" Zil thought the voice sounded familiar, but he didn't care. The boat floated over to where the basket, and the boy, were sitting. Dave ran over to the girl, and she jumped from the basket into his arms. Lance went to help the boy, but Zil felt the boat rock as Lance fell backward.

"He hit me!" Lance cried, rubbing his cheek. The hit had knocked the boy back onto the rocks.

Zil was about to reach his hand over the edge to pull him up, when he saw something slither around one of the life preservers, wrapping itself around it.

**Sam looked at Astrid, then back to Brianna. The three of them were standing in the office, as they had been for almost an hour, going over the same details. Astrid's look was cold, whereas Brianna's was pleading, both of them trying to convince Sam to make very different decisions.**

"**Sam, Lil's fine. I just got back from her place, I know that. But that doesn't mean the next person is going to be that lucky! You have to do something!" Astrid shook her head, looking as though she pitied Brianna.**

"**Brianna, we can't just go killing everyone who makes you mad. There are **_**rules**_** now." Sam watched Brianna as she walked within a few inches of Astrid's face, her eyes full of hate.**

"**You have no right to talk. You aren't on the council."**

"**But I made the rules!"**

"**Then you resigned!"**

"**Sam!" Brianna yelled, throwing her hand in Astrid's direction. "Won't you do something about this?" Sam wasn't sure if she was talking about the Human Crew, or Astrid. He rubbed the back of his neck.**

"**I'll take Edilio and go see them. That's all I can promise, okay?" To Sam's relief, both Brianna and Astrid seemed satisfied with the result. Brianna even walked over to hug him, and he awkwardly hugged her back. Astrid didn't seem overly pleased.**

"**You see?" She said, "Diplomacy can work." Brianna rolled her eyes as she raced out of the office to find Edilio. Sam quickly squeezed Astrid's hand before grabbing a light sweater and running in the same direction.**

** When the pair got to the compound, they were surprised to see nobody outside. They squinted around in the darkness, but knocked on the door when it was obvious nobody was there.**

"**Come in," a voice drawled, sounding distracted. Sam nodded to Edilio, who clicked the safety off of his gun and nodded back. Sam's opened the door with one hand, keeping the other one poised outward.**

** Lisa was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine. She didn't look up when the two boys entered.**

"**Hey, so what power did you guys- AH!" Lisa turned around, and upon seeing Sam's hands, and Edilio's weapons, fell off the couch, quickly scrambling to her feet.**

"**Oh my God. Shit. Zil's going to kill me! What do you want?" She asked, her eyes full of fear. Sam lowered his hand, and nodded for Edilio to do the same.**

"**We just want to talk to Lance and Zil. Where are they?" Lisa didn't look any less panicked as she continued rambling.**

"**Oh shit. No, no, no. I can't tell you. Zil. Oh crap, I'm so dead." Sam motioned for her to sit down, but she shook her head.**

"**Listen, Lisa. You need to tell us where they are, right now. This is a matter of life and death," Sam said, only half-lying. Lisa shook her head again. Sam groaned.**

"**Listen," Edilio asked, clicking the safety back on his gun. "This is really important. If you tell us, we'll make sure Zil won't hurt you. But you have to tell us the truth. We need to talk to them." Lisa tilted her head down and mumbled something, but Sam didn't know what.**

"**What? We can't hear you." Lisa groaned, and Sam saw that her eyes were watering.**

"**Fine!" She screamed, throwing her hands in the air. "They sent two kids with you to the mine. They thought the Darkness would give them some sort of power to beat you guys. I don't know exactly what they were talking about, but they kept talking about stealing a boat and going to an island. Please," she whined, still flailing her arms around, "Don't tell him I told you anything. He'll kill me!" Sam wasn't sure if she was exaggerating, but he shook his head.**

"**Of course not. Uhm, thanks for telling us. Are you okay alone?" Sam had merely meant it as a precautionary measure for Zil, but Lisa snapped out of her panic, rolling her eyes at Sam.**

"**Of course I'm okay. I'm fourteen; I'm not a fucking baby." She sat back on the couch, ripping through the pages of her magazine with vengeance. Sam and Edilio left the house.**

"**Well that was weird," Edilio said, scratching his head. Sam didn't fully hear him. He was thinking about the Human Crew. Thinking about Drake.**

**And how much more powerful they would be together.**


	8. Preparations

_**AN: Yeah, it's not that long. Shoot me. :P Sorry for the rapid POV switches. I really wanted people to see everyone's reactions. Next update will be sometime Wednesdayish, I hope. Also, if you haven't read the story "Forbidden Fruit: the Tempation of Edward Cullen" by beckymac666, I HIGHLY suggest you do. It is the most hilarious POS I have ever read. I've honestly never laughed that much in my entire life. Enjoy!**_

"I can't deal with this right now!"

Sam was losing it. It was bad enough having to deal with the Human Crew, and Drake, but _together_? Sam shivered, his mind always going back to that whip. He didn't know if he had the strength to face it again.

"It's not going to be as bad as you think. We'll have guys stationed at the marina to intercept them. Simple as that." Edilio had followed him back to the office, but Sam didn't feel like being around him. He needed to be alone, and _not_ fighting Drake again.

"It's going to be bad, Edilio! We have nothing! The only people who would be of any use are me, Caine, Orc, Dekka and _maybe_ Brianna! Jack won't fight him, and the only kids _you_ can get to help you aren't even on our side!" Edilio winced, then his look hardened.

"You think you guys will be the only useful ones? Don't do that to me, man. I never wanted us to draw that line." Sam sighed. Edilio was right. He hadn't meant it to be a freak versus normal thing, it had just slipped out. He apologized, and relaxed a little. Maybe Edilio was right. It might not be as bad as he was making it out to be.

"Okay. Here's what we do. Edilio, you get whoever you can. And I mean whoever. I don't care. If you see Brianna, tell her to round up some people. I want this entire fucking town walled off, okay?" Edilio nodded, some of his former pride returning.

The team walked out together, Edilio heading in one direction, Sam in the other. He was going to Astrid's. He knew she wouldn't fight, but he needed to give her a head's up.

When he got to her door, there was no answer. He knocked again, but it became apparent that she wasn't home. He cursed. He needed to find her, but there was no time. He would just have to hope she was somewhere safe.

** Hunter was surprised when he heard a knock on his door. Not many people came to see him anymore. He opened the door and saw someone familiar, but Hunter couldn't quite remember his name.**

"**Hi Hunter. I'm Edilio. I work for Sam." Hunter didn't remember much about Sam, but he knew he was good. Edilio asked Hunter if he could help them with something, so he said yes. He wasn't quite sure what Edilio wanted, but Hunter had an inexplicable urge to help them.**

Lil jumped when she heard the knock. She told herself that if they were coming back, they probably wouldn't knock, but it didn't help the horrible knot from forming inside her chest. She opened the door to find Hunter, Caine, and Edilio—three people Lil never expected to see together—on her doorstep.

"Uhm, what's going on?" She noted Edilio looked uncomfortable, shifting from one foot to the other, as if he didn't like what he was going to say. That only worried Lil more.

"Lil, I know you're still recovering and all, but we need able-bodied people to help fight Drake and the Human Crew." Lil froze. She still hated the thought of Drake, the hideous boy with the whip arm. Even more than that, she hated the Human Crew for what they'd done to her, and to John.

"I don't know," Lil began, "I mean, I want to, don't get me wrong. But I've only shot a gun once before. I don't know how useful I would be." Caine stood behind Edilio, looking bored. But Lil caught a hint of something else on his face. She just couldn't place it.

"You've used a gun before? That's good enough for me." Edilio offered Lil his hand, and she shook it. "Welcome aboard."

** Drake felt uneasy as the group neared the marina. He was sure of his own abilities, but the kids around him looked like a bunch of morons. Zil, Lance and Jay all looked terrified. Dave wore a small smile on his face, baseball bat at the ready, while Penny looked hard towards Perdido Beach, no doubt looking forward to the ensuing fight. Drake's whip twitched slightly as they got closer, his nerves slowly building up.**

** He knew the plan. They would take out Caine first, while he slept. Then Diana. Then next door to Hunter. Then straight to town hall to take out Sam. After that, it was smooth sailing. But as the marina of Perdido beach loomed closer, he couldn't help but feel like something was off.**

When Sam finally reached the marina, he had to say he was impressed. A four foot tall wall of sand had been put up, three dozen kids poking the barrels of their guns through the top. Sam guessed that from the dock, they were invisible. He walked over to Edilio, who was helping kids get into position.

"Great turnout, huh?" Sam nodded. They had a pretty good chance of succeeding, but he knew not to get his hopes up. He just wished he could have seen Astrid. Made sure her and Little Pete were safe. Sam motioned to Edilio, who began telling kids to listen up. Sam stood in front of the sand wall, clearing his throat.

"Okay guys. I just want you to all know what you're getting into. We all know Drake, and what he's capable of." This was met by a series of shudders and nods from the crowd.

"Yeah. Well this time he's got allies. Zil, Lance, and some other kids will be with him, armed with weapons. Caine has also told us that he may very well have another ally. She can make you see monsters, or whatever else she wants. But just know, they aren't real. Okay? No matter how bad the monsters seem, they are not real! The real monsters are coming in on that boat, and we need to take them down, _now_!" Kids cheered, and Sam had to admit his speeches were getting better.

Edilio helped to settle everyone down while Brianna, Dekka, Orc and Hunter followed Sam into several fishing boats, hoping to ambush them first. Once Edilio had given the word, everyone was silent. Sam could feel the tension in the air. Feel sweaty hands twitching on triggers. Feel the need for revenge.

It was time for the monsters to die.


	9. Ambush

_**AN: Haha, bet you hated that cliffhanger, didn't you? Don't worry, I won't do that to you again. :) Also, sorry for the long time between updates now. School fails. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, as always, and enjoy! :D**_

_**xxx**_

Drake's nerves were not improving as they came closer to the beach. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but it was too late to retreat. It was now or never.

Lance docked the boat, and Drake rushed off, stretching his legs. Penny followed shortly after, then the rest of the boys. They began walking down the dock, Drake leading—as always. His whip twitched, and he stopped, motioning for everyone else to do the same. He scanned the other boats as closely as he could in the darkness. Suddenly, Drake saw something move in his peripheral, and recognized the boat rocking back and forth only a moment too late.

"Ambush!" was all Drake had time to yell before flattening himself on the dock.

He heard multiple pairs of footsteps hurdling towards him and his crew. One girl ran straight past Drake, not even seeing him. He smirked. As the next pair of footsteps neared, he lashed out his whip, and his heart soared as he heard a scream, followed by a loud splash as some girl hit the water. Despite his best efforts, the next people had seen the girl fall, and were now looking directly at Drake. He stood up quickly, pulling a gun on them. The group nodded to each other, and two of them stepped back, letting one massive form take their place.

Orc.

"Back for round two?" Drake asked, his whip arm trembling with anticipation. Orc barrelled towards him, but his arms didn't aim to punch, as Drake had expected. Instead, they wrapped around him, taking him by surprise and letting his gun clatter on the soft wood of the dock. Before he knew what had happened, Drake was upside down, hanging over the water by his ankles. Orc had him by one hand, and Drake cursed. He hadn't been out of the boat thirty seconds, and it seemed as if he had already lost.

As Drake's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw Sam running towards him. Drake squirmed violently under Orc's crushing grip, but it wouldn't budge.

Sam raised his hands.

Drake swore, still thrashing.

Sam turned his head backwards, pointing his hands outward.

That's when Drake realized.

In a split second, Drake raised his whip up to the only skin covered part of Orc's face. He lashed out as ruthlessly as possible, hearing the massive beast roar in response.

As Drake looked up through the water, he saw a blinding flash of blue-green light, and smiled.

** Lil held the small gun she had been given shakily. She didn't want to have to use it, but she knew that if she was given the opportunity, she would take it. Sam, Dekka and a bunch of other kids were fighting on the dock, while everyone behind the sand wall waited quietly. Lil's eyes shot open as she heard a scream.**

**She knew that scream.**

"**Brianna!" Lil screamed, hearing a loud splash. She ran out from behind the sand wall, and all hell broke loose. The rest of the kids behind the sand wall took Lil's running as a signal, and followed after her. They screamed, firing blindly into the darkness. Lil paid no attention to the shots as she ran near the dock, looking for her sister.**

"**I'm fine Lil! Get out of the way!" And just like that Brianna was gone. Soaking wet and irritable, but alive. Lil sighed, going to step away from the edge of the water.**

** Her stomach tied into a tight and horrible knot as she felt something wrap around her ankle, yanking her into the water. Lil's gun went flying, landing somewhere in the sand. She clawed helplessly at it, unable to scream. Her voice was no longer working. Not paying attention to anything other than escape, she forgot to take a breath as the rest of her body was pulled into the shockingly cold water. Her lungs burned within seconds, and Lil began furiously trying to claw at her ankle. She spun around, and opened her eyes despite the saltwater.**

**Drake.**

** He smiled through the water, the moment of recognition almost instant. The look in his eyes said **_**so much**_**.**

**Where's your gun **_**now**_**?**

**Who's going to help you **_**now**_**?**

**Isn't this going to be **_**fun**_**?**

** Lil wasn't sure if she was crying. Her lungs felt like they were collapsing in on themselves. Drake released her ankle, and Lil tried to swim to the surface before the whip reappeared, wrapping itself around her neck.**

**No…**

** She was pulled back down, or at least, she thought she was. Lil couldn't tell up from down anymore, and despite her last frantic attempts at thrashing around in the water, she knew there was no point. She heard a small gurgling noise, and realized Drake was laughing at her. Lil was whipped towards the bottom of the water, the whip pinning her to the floor. He squeezed, and Lil felt the last small bubbles of air escape her lips.**

Caine was having fun in the battle for the first few minutes. He had seen Penny, but ignored her. Her stupid illusions wouldn't have any effect on him. The last kid who had come out of Drake's boat was some short, skinny kid who looked like he was about to shit his pants. He saw Caine, and shakily rose a gun to him. Caine shrugged. He would have preferred Drake, but this kid would have to do for now.

The gun went flying, discharging when it hit the ground some fifty feet away. The kid's eyes went wide as Caine lifted him up, slamming him into the beach with massive force. A few kids turned and looked, but nobody paid much attention to heap of bloody sand slowly being washed away by the surf. Caine's brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to squint around in the darkness.

He heard about two dozen kids screaming, their cries coming closer to the dock. So much for the element of _surprise_, Caine thought. The morons started shooting, not caring to see _who _they were shooting at. Caine cursed as he felt a bullet whizz by him. He stumbled backwards, almost falling off of the dock. He lay on his stomach, facing the water and breathing heavily. The sound of bullets flying past him was still blatantly obvious as he craned his neck, trying to see who was shooting at them.

Before he could, something else caught his eye. There was something going on in the water, but he couldn't tell what. Sam and Orc were looking in the water on the other side of the dock, though Caine didn't know why. He saw something red lick the surface of the water, and cringed. He thought hard. He had never tried to move water before, but he was going to try. It was worth the effort if _he _got to be the one to kill him. What started as a small wave on the surface quickly grew to a two sided wave, parting from either side of where Caine's energy was concentrated. First Drake's head and shoulders emerged, followed by his torso. Drake turned, glaring at Caine. As Caine continued parting the water, he saw someone else. He had only seen her twice before; once this afternoon, when Edilio had recruited her to fight, and once when the idiots who tried to attack Diana had reached the girl first.

"Let me finish this, then you'll be next!" Caine could see the girl fighting for air, and knew how happy Drake would be if he got the satisfaction of killing her.

Well Caine sure as hell wasn't going to give him that.

Drake's whip uncoiled from the girl's neck, a feat that was far more difficult as Caine tried to keep the water at bay. He was sweating from the effort, but very slowly the girl was lifted upwards, sputtering for air and looking amazed. As soon as she was above the water line, he threw her into the shore, where she rolled over on all fours and vomited. Caine immediately looked back to Drake, who was cursing. He couldn't get out of the small, water-encased prison Caine had created, and Caine laughed. He lifted Drake out of the water at the same time he called for Sam.

"I've got him!" Caine howled as he heard Sam's footsteps approaching. Drake laughed, but his voice cracked as he spoke.

"Don't you remember? You can't kill me! I can't feel _anything_!" Sam pointed out a hand and a streak of light erupted from his palm, causing Caine to cover his eyes for a moment. He reopened them as Drake screamed, a horrible, blood-curdling sound. Caine let out a small cheer as he realized Brittany wasn't as stupid as he thought. Drake thrashed wildly in midair, the light from Sam's beam bouncing casually across the water as it moved up Drake's legs. More and more people had stopped fighting to watch. Drake began to laugh as he cried and swore, and for a moment Caine thought he had gone insane.

But Drake's whip was shrinking.

His hair was growing.

And within moments, Brittany had taken his place, screaming for Sam to kill her.

_**xxx**_

_**AN: I lied about the cliffhanger thing, btw. ;)**_


	10. Brittany

Brittany's face showed no sign of physical pain. She had learned to keep that ability to herself. She may not have much control over whose face is in the mirror, but Brittany had her own ways of making Drake's life more difficult.

She could feel a slight tingling as the fire burnt her legs away, but nothing more. She continued screaming, happy that she could finally go to heaven with Tanner. Her _real_ Tanner, not the imposter who had been trailing her since the Demon and her had become one.

"_Sam_!" Edilio yelled, running to his friend's aid.

Sam had been shot.

His knees buckled, the flame in his hands sputtering before finally dying. He collapsed on the ground. Brittany was still suspended in mid-air, watching the war unfold beneath her. Caine shot a worried look in his direction, but kept his composure. A handsome boy Brittany didn't know was smiling sadistically, a smoking gun held fiercely between his fingers.

And now, Brittany could feel herself regenerating.

No, she begged, please let me die.

Brittany began to cry. Crying for Edilio, who she had always admired. Crying for Sam, who still wasn't getting up. Crying for the sadistic boy who had shot him, and even for the Demon. And now, crying for the strange girl who ran screaming onto the dock, screaming out a boy's name.

Lance.

She hurled herself at him with such force he didn't have time to react. Neither of them had a gun now, as Lance's slid off of the dock. Both sides paused, not knowing what to make of it. The girl was clawing at his face, her hands coming away covered in blood.

As soon as Lance threw the first blow back, chaos ensued.

Brittany couldn't take it all in. Her entire body was good as new, and the repulsion she felt by that fact was stifled as she saw children—_children_—killing each other. Edilio was dragging Sam away, telling kids around him to keep fighting. Lance and the girl were rolling around on the dock, trying to kill each other. Many more were shooting at each other, some trying fruitlessly to shoot Brittany. And a few were rolling around on the ground screaming as a young girl stretched her hands out towards them.

Caine was still holding her in place. Brittany hated Caine, but it seemed as if he had switched sides. She smiled. She was glad he had changed his ways. She didn't struggle against him. In fact, Brittany turned towards him; their eyes meeting for an instant. Caine's eyes were hard, but Brittany tried to make hers say, "I trust you."

** Astrid fell to the floor at Sam's feet, a trail of blood now pooling around her knees. Her hands wiped some of the splattered blood from Sam's face, all the while screaming at the top of her lungs for Lana, who was already pressing her hands into the gunshot wound in Sam Temple's side. Edilio cringed, only remembering bits and pieces of what Astrid said.**

"**Save him!"**

"**What the **_**fuck**_** happened down there, Edilio?"**

"**Oh God. No, no, no."**

** Eventually, when all Astrid could manage were silent screams and hoarse sobs, Edilio walked over to her, helping her off of the ground.**

"**Come on, Astrid. You don't want to watch." His words, though meant to be comforting, brought an entirely new wave of panic to Astrid.**

"**No! Lana, you can save him, I know you can! Try **_**harder**_**!" She kicked against Edilio, who grudgingly held her back, bringing her into a meeting room off of the Town Hall's foyer. In the dark, Edilio could barely see Astrid, who had suddenly gone limp. Oddly, this worried Edilio more than the hysterics of before. He grabbed Astrid's shoulders, shaking her slightly.**

"**Astrid, you need to calm down, okay? Be **_**calm**_**. Think." Her eyes looked through Edilio, her mind seemingly not understanding anything from the outside world. He brought her over to a bench, and she sat down, still not looking at anything in particular. Sitting down next to her, Edilio sighed. **

**It was the last sound either of them made for the rest of the night.**

** Much later in the morning, Edilio went down to the docks, finding them empty. He immediately ran to Orc's house, hoping that maybe Drake had been housed there again. Edilio saw Howard, and sprinted the rest of the distance between them.**

"**What happened? Where did everyone go?" Howard shook his head.**

"**I don't know. A lot of kids aren't okay. I'm not sure what happened, maybe you should go to John and Lil's place. That's where everyone is right now."**

**Edilio thanked Howard, a knot forming in his stomach. If Drake had been captured, surely Howard would have known about it by now. And what did he mean; a lot of kids weren't okay?**

**Edilio didn't want to know what he meant.**

**He was tired of always knowing.**

The scene within Lil's house was not a pretty one. Children were lying wherever there was room, as Lana walked amongst them, trying to save the ones who were injured the worst. Lil noticed that the situation wasn't improving; the children who had been attacked by Drake were not healing. She had left the house shortly after the influx of children had arrived, sitting on the back porch that now held too many bad memories. Diana and Caine were not home, and Lil suspected they were now with Sam and Astrid, trying to figure out their next move.

Drake was captured. That was the good news. Zil and Penny, two people Lil hoped she would never see again, were dead. Lance had shot Sam. And Lil, who didn't think she could hate Lance any more than she already did, surprised even herself as a wave of fury washed over her for the millionth time that day. And _he _had been the one who lived. After shooting Sam, he had been swarmed by Edilio's soldiers.

Beaten senseless.

Lil could at least be grateful for that.

"Hey, you alive out here?" Brianna now stood in front of her, still covered in blood and sand from the night before.

"Barely," Lil replied, "but I'm doing a lot better than most." Brianna nodded solemnly, sitting on the ground next to Lil. She gave her little sister a curious look, which Brianna read instantly.

"They're figuring things out on their own, I guess. They don't need me." Brianna paused, her cheeks burning red for a moment.

"Lil, what the hell happened to you last night? One minute you're standing next to me at the beach, and the next you're being dragged into the water and flung into the air and-"

"Yeah, that was… not good. I still don't really remember what happened." Lil thought of Drake, and cringed. "What's wrong with the kids in there? Why can't Lana help them?" Now it was Brianna's turn to cringe.

"I have no idea. Caine… well, I don't like him, but at least he was trying. I guess Drake got too close to him though. He's got a pretty nasty gash on his arm. After he hit Caine, his arm… thing… did something weird. Whenever it whipped someone, it," Brianna stopped and furrowed her brow, unsure of how to continue. Lil wasn't sure whether or not she wanted her to.

"The cuts burned like they had been hit with acid. Kids were freaking out; they didn't know what to do. Caine eventually got him back under control, but this-" Brianna motioned to Lil's living room, where she could still hear people wailing in pain, "-is what he left behind."

** Astrid held Sam's hand as he walked towards the outside of town. He really didn't want to do this, but Caine and the rest of the council had convinced him.**

**She wanted to die.**

**She **_**wanted **_**to.**

**He repeated the mantra in his mind, feeling a weight pressing down on him with each step. He didn't want to have more blood on his hands, especially someone who had done nothing wrong.**

"**Think of Drake," Astrid said, sensing his thoughts. Sam sighed.**

"**I don't want to be that angry with Brittany." He said, and Astrid squeezed his hand. Orc and Howard nodded in Sam's direction when they neared Caine and Diana's house. Diana was next door, refusing to be anywhere near Drake.**

**Sam didn't blame her.**

** He blocked out his hearing to the crying next door, and walked around to Caine's backyard. He waved to Brianna and her sister sitting on their porch, trying to seem relaxed.**

**He wasn't.**

**Sam walked in the back door of Caine's house, where his brother sat, exhausted, in a plush recliner.**

"**He's in the basement." Caine said rubbing his forehead. Sam nodded, and Caine's eyes shot open, boring into Sam's.**

"**I swear to God, brother. If you don't kill him, I will. And it sure as hell won't be as humane as whatever you have planned." Sam fought the urge to laugh. Even in the worst of times, Caine had to be the tough one. Instead, he opted for a small smile, and nodded again.**

"**Yeah, I know."**

**Sam descended the stairs, not taking Astrid's advice.**

**All he could think about was poor, poor Brittany.**

** When he walked into the basement, Brittany was sitting cross-legged in the corner, playing with a Rubik's cube someone had given her. She was filthy, covered in sweat, blood, and sand. Sam's shoulders sagged, but Brittany lifted her head expectantly.**

"**Sam!" She cried, almost excitedly. "Is it true what they've been saying?"**

"**What who has been saying?" Sam shot the two boys guarding her a look.**

"**Hey man, it's just as much her fault as… his." Sam motioned for them to leave the basement, and they did so hurriedly, sensing Sam's irritation.**

"**What exactly did they tell you?"**

"**They said today I get to see Tanner." Sam felt something build up in his throat, and he coughed.**

"**Uhm, yeah Brittany. You do." Brittany smiled, but it was a sad smile, and Sam could see that she almost pitied **_**him**_**.**

"**Well, I'm ready. Do it."**

"**Are you sure you're ready for… this? You just seem really upbeat, is all." Brittany nodded. Sam nodded in return, and raised his hands. Brittany's face lit up.**

"**Wait!" Sam lowered his hands, but kept them poised towards her.**

"**I can hear it—and him—in my head. He let the Healer go to send a message about Drake. She can't heal them… not when it's because of him. He said Drake will just get more powerful, and that you can't stop him. And," she added proudly, "he can feel pain now. I get to keep that power to myself."**

**Now it was Sam's turn to smile sadly. He thanked Brittany, and asked her if there was anything she wanted Sam to tell anybody. He hated this. He felt like an executioner.**

**Which, he had to admit, he kind of was.**

"**Yes. Two things, actually. Tell Edilio and Mickey that nothing that happened to me was their fault, and in the end, I got to be happy." Brittany paused now, seeming unsure as to how to continue.**

"**And tell Caine he did a good job today. He's not as bad as he thinks."**

**The finality of what was said hung in the air around them, pungent and depressing. Brittany turned suddenly to her left and smiled at someone who wasn't there. Sam cringed, turning his palms back towards Brittany.**

"**You ready?" Brittany nodded a final time, lying down on the cold pavement of the unfinished basement floor.**

"**Hell yeah."**

** The entire room exploded with light, and Brittany's feet disappeared. Sam still worried.**

"**Can you feel anything?" She shook her head, and motioned for him to keep going. He did. **

**He tried as hard as he could to ignore the sight of her, the smells and the sounds no body should ever make. He travelled up to her knees, and saw that her smile had grown, despite small tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. Just as he reached her chest, she laughed, an odd noise amongst the fire.**

"**Thank you, Sam Temple. You really are an angel."**

**And then she was gone.**


	11. Reconciliation

_**AN: Well, since I didn't even post an AN last time, I figured I would here. For those asking if Drake is dead, I shan't answer that question. I will leave it to you to decide. However, I will say that if I say someone is dead, there is a 90% chance they are dead. ANYWAY, no, obviously, the last chapter was not the last chapter. There is more. I don't know how much more, but there is more. Will this fic become a trilogy? Probably not. I don't have much else planned for this, unfortunately. However, I do plan on continuing with fanfiction, so don't fret. The game is far from over. ;)**_

**XXX**

"How do you feel?" Astrid asked, sounding almost too gentle.

"Actually, strangely light." Sam replied. It had been just over an hour since Edilio had begun digging the graves. At the moment, there were 8: Brittany, Penny, Zil, Jay, and four of Edilio's kids. Eight lives. Eight people he couldn't save. One he ended.

Sam told Edilio to dig extras, just in case.

It wasn't looking good at Lil's place. The kids who Drake attacked were in horrible shape, and for once Sam couldn't look to Lana for help. He felt something vile rise up in his throat as he remembered the scene at Lil's house. Children had been lying everywhere, howling as Brianna, John and Rodger ran between them with cotton balls and rubbing alcohol—the only tools they had—to try and save them. Their skin, which had begun as raw, bubbling flesh, had hardened, the skin around the wounds turning a sickly yellowish-green. Three of the children were already dead. More were expected.

More lives.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just not feeling so light anymore." Astrid nodded, heading towards the door.

"I have to check on Petey. I'll come by later, okay? Hang in there." Sam attempted to smile and wave as she walked out the door. For a few minutes he just sat in his office, alone and unsure what to do. He looked out the window, and saw Edilio fall back onto the grass of the cemetery, exhausted. He had been digging all morning, and hadn't slept the night before. Sam rose, stretching, and reluctantly walked outside to help him.

The two of them dug in silence, and only looked at each other when the graves were finished. Sam remembered a time that seemed non-existent, when he and Edilio had been working for Caine. They had been searching houses, and had found their first body.

Astrid couldn't cope.

Nobody knew what to do.

Sam had been the only one who had stepped forward to load the infant's body into the wagon.

He thought of that memory now, seeing how Edilio slugged bodies into graves as if they were lumber, or any other commodity. And now, Sam had to admit, he didn't want to have to touch those bodies. He wondered how old the youngest would be; seven maybe? Six? He didn't even know all of their names, but somehow Edilio did, eight crosses labelled as neatly as possible, and four blank.

Waiting.

**XXX**

**Astrid was leaving Sam's office for the night, feeling the horrible eeriness she felt whenever she was forced to cross the plaza alone. Surrounded by graves, she never really felt alone. She felt the blame and guilt of the corpses pressing down into her; could feel them asking her why she hadn't helped. Why she hadn't let Sam kill their murderers. Why some of them were still alive.**

**Astrid didn't have answers.**

** But tonight, she felt more watched than ever. She peered around the graveyard closely, looking for any sign of movement. While she didn't see anything, she did hear something; a faint moan moved towards her, and Astrid's body went rigid. She thought of Brittany, but that was impossible. There had been a grave made for her in the plaza, but there had been nothing to bury but a few belongings they had found.**

**Another moan, more pained than the last.**

** Astrid wanted to move, but she felt her feet planted in the ground, rooted and paralyzed. The moans were not heading towards her, as she thought, but were merely growing louder. She took a few cautious steps toward the source of the noise, praying it wasn't Brittany.**

**That part of their lives was over.**

** In the obscurity of the plaza, she almost tripped over a form lying on the ground, clutching one of the crosses vehemently.**

"**Lisa?" Astrid asked, recognizing the girl. The girl tried to stand up, but failed, instead opting for an awkward sitting position with her arms still around the cross.**

"**Fuck off, Astrid. This is-" Lisa paused, her eyes wild. Astrid was sure she was about to blame her for what had happened to Zil, but it hadn't had anything to do with her.**

"**Lisa, he tried to kill people. Innocent people. I'm not even sure who-"**

"**No he didn't! You're lying about him! You didn't know anything about him! You just think that because he hung around in the compound he was some sort of monster, well he wasn't! He was paid off, just like Dave was!" Astrid was genuinely confused.**

"**Lisa, Zil **_**was**_** a monster. Just last week he tried to beat two people to death with Lance."**

"**Not Zil, you idiot! I know he was a monster, I hated him! I'm glad he's dead!" Another choked sob forced her to pause. **

"**After the battle, we were going to go public, but we couldn't while Zil was alive. We didn't know he was going to die, we just really, really hoped for it."**

**Astrid squinted her eyes at the cross, trying to read the name.**

**JAY MARKHAM**

**13**

**Lisa ignored Astrid, continuing to sob.**

"**It's not **_**fair**_**!" She wailed, speaking to nobody in particular.**

"**Why does the FAYZ have to take **_**everything**_**?"**

**XXX**

Lil sat in her backyard, sitting around a small kiddie pool full of sea water. She poured an entire bottle of laundry soap in it, followed by what was left of her Febreeze. John was upstairs talking with Rodger, leaving the rest of the house to Lil. She had pulled apart her living room, and now sat surrounded by blankets, couch cushions, an area rug, and anything else she could pull out of the room.

It stank of death. It stank of blood and crying children and antiseptic and decomposition and hurt and bubbling flesh, and Lil couldn't stand it. Her hands shook and ached as she dunked items into the pool, her hands raw from cleaning products, bleach, and other chemicals. The water sloshed absentmindedly in the pool, unaware of the forcefulness with which Lil was now attempting to drown the fabrics. She grabbed a ball of steel wool, grinding it against a throw pillow until the fibres began to unravel beneath it.

She was acutely aware that Caine and Diana had been watching her with curiosity all afternoon, but she didn't care. She needed to get the stench out of everything. Out of _her_.

Five had died.

One had lived.

Five people had died in her living room, screaming for someone to save them.

Hours later, she still sat next to the pool. Bleach stained and exhausted, Lil dumped the contents of the pool into her lawn, its shell cracking and spilling soapy water all over her feet. Cursing, she kicked the pool, picking up the sopping wet articles of her prior insanity and draping them around her deck to dry.

Upon walking inside, the stench she had been avoiding all day hit her like a wall. She flung every window in the house open; not caring that her soaking wet clothes would make her even colder. In her frenzy, she had almost missed something. The kitchen island was scrubbed clean, as she had left it, with a single sheet of printer paper on it. Lil approached it, her chest seizing up as she saw it.

It was a sketch.

Lil saw the FAYZ wall, concave this time, rising up into the sky and into oblivion. Lil was on her knees, leaning her entire body against it. Her face was bruised and burned from the wall, but she showed a small smile, her eyes closed. Praying for Brianna. Her hands were not pressed against each other, but were pushed against the wall, as if she was trying to push it open. A messy signature reading JT was scribbed into the bottom right hand corner, and Lil had to admit John's abilities had become quite good. She smiled, and walked over to one of the overturned picture frames that had come with the house. She took out a picture of a young woman and who Lil guessed was her mother, and replaced it with John's sketch, running her finger along the glass.

That's when she noticed.

Just beneath Lil's hands, a small crack was slowly making its way along the FAYZ wall.

It reminded Lil of something she should have done a long time ago. She ran up to John's room and knocked on the door.

"Hey, Lil. What's up?" Rodger motioned for her to come in.

"Hey, I need a piece of paper and a pencil, if you don't mind." Rodger nodded, John busy sketching some new piece. She thanked Rodger, and looked to John. She would thank him for the sketch when he wasn't busy. Rodger handed her the paper, the feeling of it on her aching hands making them tingle.

**XXX**

"**I'm bored." Diana was lying on the living room floor on her stomach, toying with a crossword puzzle. Caine scowled at her, then lay down next to her.**

"**Trench."**

"**What?"**

"**A deep furrow, ditch or cut. Four down. Trench." Diana scribbled the words down, muttering something about being fully capable of completing a crossword on her own.**

"**You're welcome." Caine smiled, walking to the fridge. He had found an apple tree behind his house, and while most of them had fallen prey to birds and other animals, he had salvaged three that weren't too badly bruised. He ate one now, savouring it.**

** Just as he was about to take another bite, someone knocked at his door. He was really starting to get sick of interruptions. He already had to carry back the dead bodies with Orc, which, even Caine had to admit, was unpleasant.**

**He opened the door, but the porch was deserted. He cursed, slamming the door shut. His sock slipped on something on the floor, and he saw a small piece of folded paper on the floor.**

"**Who was it?" Diana asked, her hair falling into her face, blocking the crossword puzzle from view. Caine ignored her, opening the note.**

_**Thank you, neighbour.**_

"**Well?" Diana asked, looking up from the newspaper.**

"**Nothing." Caine said, shoving the paper in his pocket.**

**He hated being thanked.**


	12. Breakdown

_**AN: Okay, I know I said I didn't have a lot more planned for this fic, but I think I've finally figured out how I want to end it. Good news: There are probably at least 5 or 6 chapters left. Bad news: After this, it's done. D: Thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed. Your comments always make my day.**_

**XXX**

After she had run out of picture frames, Lil had begun stringing John's sketches up along the border of her living room. He left one for her just about every morning, and Lil would tape it up with the others before leaving to the daycare. Each one was slightly better than the one before it, and Lil now had an almost-complete archive of her time in the FAYZ. After the first sketch, she had been given pictures detailing Lil and John's walk together, their horrifying trip to Coates', the night with Lance… There was even one picture, Lil's personal favourite, of a girl she had only seen a few times, falling over a fence with a boy running angrily after her. John hadn't been there, but he had captured the moment with Caine and Diana perfectly.

Today was different. John had already told her that he was spending the night at Rodger's house. His neighbour had a telescope, and they were going to try painting a constellation. John had given her the sketch the night before; a barren living room, the glass sliding doors just barely showing the form of a girl bent over a small pool. Despite what people may think, Lil didn't want to forget.

Lil woke up and made a small breakfast of mush and fish before washing her face and throwing on her work clothes. They were covered in paint and glitter, but laundry soap was becoming as rare as anything else in the FAYZ. She tied her hair back, and smiled when she walked into the kitchen. A piece of paper was lying face-down on the island, and Lil ran over to it, excited that John had left her two sketches in one day.

It wasn't a sketch.

It was a note.

She dropped the paper, wondering what kind of sick person would play that type of joke on her. She picked it back up, shoved it in her pocket, and ran out of the door, ignoring Brianna and her work at the daycare. It could wait.

This was far more important.

She sprinted to City Hall, ignoring the stitch forming in her side. Several people were milling about the plaza, looking bored. But a few, like Lil, were just about sprinting. Lil noticed Caine and Diana were almost to the front doors, and Howard was coming from a different direction with the same look of alarm on his face. She wondered if maybe, she wasn't the only one.

"Where's Sam?" Lil was panting, trying to catch her breath. Edilio pointed upstairs, and Lil took off, following the echo of Caine's loud footsteps. The door was already open when she arrived.

"Sam!" She cried, throwing the paper on his desk. His brow was furrowed. He nodded.

"I know, Lil. Caine and Diana got one too." Howard burst through the open door, his face red with anger.

"Are you guys fucking kidding me? Were you lying this entire time? Is he dead, or not?" Sam sighed.

"Listen, I don't know who sent you those letters, but I can assure you that Drake is dead. I killed him," he paused, "and her." Lil turned to Sam, panicked.

"Wait, you think this is about Drake?" Her eyes went wide, her body feeling far shakier than it had before.

"Of course it was Drake." Lil looked at Caine, who was holding a sweaty, crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

"I thought… I thought it was Lance."

"What does yours say?" Caine turned towards her, scowling.

"What?" Lil didn't really know what to think. If they were right, and it was Drake…

Her letter was more than clear enough.

_There won't always be someone there to save you._

_See you soon._

"Oh God. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. This is ridiculous. How do you people live like this? I can't… I can't do this anymore. Fuck this! Fuck this whole world!" Lil tore out of the room, not caring that half a dozen eyes were following her.

In Lil's mind, there was only one pair of eyes watching her.

And they mattered more than anything else in the world.

**XXX**

**John and Rodger were chatting in the living room when they saw the front door open. Lil fell into the foyer, a horrible, wracking sob escaping her chest. She lay on the ground, covered in dirt, a dirty and crumpled piece of paper in her hand.**

"**Jesus Christ, Lil!" The pair reached her, and Rodger pulled a wad of matted hair out of her face, immediately pulling his hand back. Her face was contorted in agony, reminding Rodger of a movie he had once seen where a girl had become possessed. Her sobs were no longer making noise; instead, her body silently shook, eyes closed, oblivious to the world around her.**

** The two pulled her up onto the couch, and Rodger grabbed the blanket from her bed, draping it over Lil's still-shaking form.**

"**What do we do?" Rodger wondered aloud.**

"**I don't know. What's in her hand?" Rodger tried to pry Lil's hand off of the paper, but it wouldn't budge. He couldn't move it without ripping it. John fell to the floor next to the couch, taking Lil's shaking hands in his own.**

"**Come on, Lil… You can snap out of it… I know you can." **

**XXX**

Diana had spent most of the day in a complete daze. Caine wouldn't allow her to leave his side, and she didn't mind it. She didn't want him to leave her for even a moment. She knew that was just the kind of opportunity _he_ was looking for, and he wasn't going to make his job that easy.

Though, there was nothing saying this wasn't just some stupid joke, but Diana would rather be safe than sorry.

After Lil's breakdown, Diana had been even more shaken than before. And although she was sure that what Drake had in store was more vile and horrible than anything he could think up for Lil, she still felt a small amount of pity towards the girl. She hadn't been here as long as the rest of them. She didn't know.

The worst part of the matter was that Lana had disappeared again. Diana hated her more than anything. She was a weak, pathetic waste of a power, running back to the Darkness whenever it wanted her. At least Caine had fought back. She was sure that Drake's return had something to do with her.

And now, Diana wasn't sure why she was standing outside of her neighbour's house, only that she needed to go inside. She needed to talk to her. Caine was beside her, complaining, but she wasn't listening to him. She knocked on the door, and her friend answered the door.

"Uhm, hi?" The boy was obviously confused by her presence. She ignored the tired, pathetic look on his face, and tried to be herself.

"Where's your friend?" Diana could see Caine glaring at her from her peripheral, but again, she ignored him. She walked into Lil's living room and pulled the coffee table over to her, sitting on it. Diana cringed. The girl was curled into the foetal position, her body rigid and unmoving. If it wasn't for the shallow breathing coming slowly out of her mouth, Diana would have thought the girl was dead.

Well, there was more than one way to be dead.

"Listen." Diana said, but Lil didn't move.

"She hasn't been responding to anyone." A taller boy said, walking in from upstairs. Diana glared at him, and Caine followed, still standing awkwardly near the door.

"I don't care." She spat harshly, and she continued. "I don't know if you can even hear me, but I want you to know you aren't alone in this. Hell, if anyone's pissed Drake off, it's me. But me, _and_ Caine will make sure nothing happens to you. Drake will never get the satisfaction of killing you." Caine's eyes went wide, and he walked into the living room, fuming.

"What the fuck? I'm not protecting this chick! She can deal with this on her own!" Diana jumped off of the coffee table, spinning to turn to Caine, her eyes wild.

"If Drake kills her, where do you think he's coming next?" Diana's voice was hysteric, almost feral, but still Lil remained unmoving.

"I have enough problems, Diana, without worrying about some dirty vegetable with emotional problems!" The taller boy turned to Caine, a look of pure, undiluted hatred on his face. Before Caine had time to think, he ran up to Caine, throwing a powerful left hook that spun him around, sending him to the ground in a heap.

Though she tried not to, Diana's lips curled upwards in a small smile. Caine was off the floor in an instant, and the boy was thrown backwards, where he crashed into the kitchen's granite countertop. He fell to the ground where he keeled over, coughing up blood. Caine realigned his jaw and began walking over to the boy, but Diana stopped him.

"Caine, let it go. We don't need this now." Caine scowled at Diana, and walked over to the boy. He knelt down beside him, wrenching his head upwards by his hair.

"If you ever so much as look at me the wrong way, I will rip your pathetic fucking body in half."

Diana grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the house. The small boy sat there, stunned, while Lil remained unmoving. She pushed him into their house, rolling her eyes and slamming the door behind her.

"Well, that was a success."

**XXX**

** The white-hot pain had finally subsided, and he was able to move. He stood up carefully, his legs shaky and weak. He frowned. Hopefully his strength would return in time. He used his one free hand to brace himself against what he assumed was a wall. He was immersed in complete obscurity, unable to see anything at all.**

** A hand reached out from the darkness, and he grabbed onto it, oddly thankful for the added assistance.**

"**Welcome back. You've been out for a while, now."**

**Still blind, Lance rubbed his head, following the stranger.**

**XXX**

_**AN: Hahahahahahaha… I love writing. XD**_


	13. Resentment

How did you tell someone their sister was broken?

That was what Rodger wondered when he heard Brianna's knock on the door. He rose slowly, his back still stinging from the day before. Rodger couldn't explain why he had hit Caine, despite the fact that he _knew _about his power. Seeing him insult Lil, when she was in that condition… he couldn't help himself. He walked slowly, whether because of his back or his internal want to keep Brianna at bay, he wasn't sure. He opened the door, and Brianna's face went from a look of excitement to concern. Rodger had hoped he could mask his emotions, but judging by Brianna's immediate recognition, he guessed he hadn't done a very good job.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her normal gusto vanishing. She looked so vulnerable, Rodger thought, but she had to know eventually.

"It's Lil. She's… not doing too well." And Brianna was gone, already in the living room. Rodger picked up the bag she had dropped, and followed her inside. Brianna turned on Rodger, looking nothing but furious.

"What happened? Why didn't anyone tell me about this? And what's in her hand? Lil, what's in your hand?" She asked, turning to her sister. Rodger shook his head, sighing.

"Sorry, Brianna. I don't think she can hear you. If she can, she won't acknowledge it. And we don't know what's in her hand. She won't let go of it."

"What the hell happened to her?" Brianna fell limp next to her sister, trying to wrench her hands open.

"We don't know, but we think it has something to do with Drake. That's what Caine and Diana said, anyway." Brianna stood up again, her anguish turning once again to anger.

"_Caine and Diana? _You let them near her? Don't you know what they're like? And I thought Drake was dead!" Rodger's heart dropped, his head reeling. He felt so guilty, like everything he had done lately had been wrong.

"I- I don't think they were here to threaten her. Diana actually offered to protect her. Caine… wasn't as cooperative." Rodger's eyes instinctively went to the countertop he had been hurled against, and Brianna's eyes followed him, finally landing on the pool of dried blood Rodger had coughed up the night before.

"Jesus Christ, Rodger. I don't even want to know what happened here. I can assure you that you are no longer needed. Feel free and take care of Justin; Amelia can't keep him at the Daycare forever." The harshness of her voice startled him, and he reluctantly nodded. He wanted to stay with Lil, but even he knew he had other responsibilities. Justin had been complaining he had spent too much time at the Daycare lately, but Rodger had been selfish, wanting to spend more and more time with John and Lil. He went upstairs to pack up his art supplies, thinking of how unfair it was that he was made a father at fifteen. He stopped himself. How could he think that way about Justin? He was more a brother than a child, and he _was_ bright for his age. Rodger tossed these thoughts from his mind and sighed; feeling like once he left this house, Brianna would never allow him back. He had thought about fighting her, about trying to convince her to let him stay, but what was the point? Brianna was right; he had made some really crappy decisions.

It was only fair.

**XXX**

"**They say he's back." Lance rubbed the side of his face, still tender from being pummelled by some girl at the beach. He turned to Dave, the kid who had spoken, and scowled, spitting some dried blood onto the sidewalk.**

"**That's ridiculous. Drake's dead. I know a kid who was there when it happened." He kicked at some loose pebbles idly, swinging his baseball bat back and forth. He hadn't actually known someone who was there, but he wanted Dave to shut up.**

** The Human Crew had been decimated during the battle. Jay and Zil were both dead—not that Jay had been of much use anyway—Lisa and most of the other kids had run off when they realized they would be working with Drake. Now it was just Lance, Dave, and Charlie. Lance didn't mind Charlie; he was a brainless goon who would do whatever Lance told him to do. Dave was the one he worried about. He had the Darkness inside his mind; an advantage Lance hated him for having. Dave had his own motives for doing things, and would defy Lance if their plans conflicted. But Lance wasn't about to be picky; people were people, so long as they weren't freaks.**

"**Yeah, well the Darkness is telling me otherwise." Dave smiled that sick, sadistic smile he used when he knew something Lance didn't, making him want to bring his baseball bat around the side of Dave's head. Instead, Lance just nodded.**

"**Does it want us to help it?" Lance didn't **_**like **_**the Darkness, but it gave the Human Crew power they so desperately needed, even if the help came from a mentally unstable madman with a whip for an arm.**

**Dave's eyes—and his smile—widened as he no doubt received his orders.**

"**We have to find a boy."**

"**Did it say who?" Dave didn't answer. Instead, he started walking towards the plaza, motioning for the other boys to follow him.**

"**Where are we going?" Charlie called out, running to catch up with Dave's quick pace.**

"**To find Pete."**

**XXX**

_**I know it's short, but I wanted to spit out a chapter before heading to the gym. I'm pretty happy with it, but I want to know what everyone else thinks. :D Happy reading! Also, I think I may have a few more chapters than I thought, so yay for that!**_


	14. Capture

_**AN: Okay, just saying this outright. School sucks, and chapters will be short for now. Maybe they'll be longer later, but for now, this is probably going to be the norm. I'm really having a hard time ending this series, I'll be honest. But I think I have one final thing that will more or less end it. XD Let's let you simmer on that! Also, I am so thankful to those who review. I actually check my email all the time just to see if I have any. :P Lame, I know. Enjoy!**_

**XXX**

After five days of agony, Rodger had been returned to Lil's house; unable to agree to Brianna's demand of staying away. She still held a great deal of contempt for him, he knew that. But she had finally conceded to let both him and Justin move in. Justin was given the last bedroom, next door to John's and across the hall from Lil's.

"But where will you stay?" Brianna had asked, and Rodger could tell she didn't want him to have an answer. He informed her he had no issues sleeping in the basement.

Justin hadn't liked moving. He had already lost one home, and Rodger knew he wasn't looking forward to losing another. But when he had heard that John, Brianna and Lil from the Daycare would be there, he had finally agreed.

Lil's condition still hadn't improved, and they couldn't even bring Lana in to help. She had—once again—vanished. People were usually pretty lenient with Lana, but even Rodger had to admit her absence was irritating.

"We should move her." Rodger said, turning to Brianna.

"What? We can't move her like this! She's a mess!" That was Brianna. Always fighting, always challenging.

"Come on. She might be more comfortable in her own bed. And you have to admit, having her in the middle of the house doesn't really give it a cheery atmosphere."

Brianna finally agreed, and they began the awkward and difficult task off moving Lil from the couch, up the stairs, and into her bedroom. Her body was completely rigid, curled inwards, and Rodger's face flushed as he tried to position his hands in the most… gentlemanly way possible. Brianna rolled her eyes at him and he lifted, the two of them moving carefully toward the stairs, Brianna complaining all the while that Rodger was moving too slowly.

Lil _did _look more comfortable, but it may have been Rodger's mind playing tricks on him. The room was homier, painted pastel blue with light laminate flooring. It had a small bed with a patchwork quilt and a duvet, a lightwood end table with a matching dresser and mirror. The light from the window above her bed cast an eerily bright beam of sunshine onto Lil, changing the lids of her eyes to light pink. Translucent. Weak. Rodger sighed, turning to Brianna.

"I'm sorry about all of this. About her, and Caine… I should have done better." At first he thought Brianna was ignoring him, but as he turned towards her he saw she was crying. Her bottom lip trembled, tears streaking both sides of her face as she continued staring straight ahead, watching her only remaining figment of the outside world fade away. He paused, unsure of what to say.

"Brianna…" He said, putting his hand on her shoulder. Her muscles tensed and she began to jerk away, but she sighed, her body going limp. Finally accepting his help.

At least this time, he hadn't completely failed.

**XXX**

"**Why do we have to go after a little kid?" Lance was getting irritated. Dave had been taking too long in explaining their plans, only hinting at bits and pieces.**

"**Drake is in his mind. The last piece of him is inside his mind!" Dave sounded almost hysteric, adding a small giggle to the last part of his rant. Lance scowled.**

"**What are you talking about? The last piece of what?" Dave turned, his eyes shining.**

"**The retard. He can create people. **_**People**_**! He has seen Drake, knows who he is, what he looks like. He can bring him back! With the boy and the Darkness, we can bring Drake back!" Even Lance had to admit Dave was giving him shivers. But Lance was finally able to piece things together.**

"**And if we have Drake-"**

"**We kill Sam."**

**XXX**

Astrid was unravelling.

She knew she should be better to Pete, but she couldn't help it. She had so much to do, and yet her brother always trailed just behind her, like a horrible ball and chain. She balled her hands into fists, feeling her fingernails digging into the palms of her hands.

_Wake up, Astrid._

He sat, at that moment, in the backyard. Out of sight, out of mind. The guilt was agonizing, but it wasn't like Pete was going to _do _anything. She looked out the window. He was still sitting in a lawn chair, staring at the house like it didn't exist. Like _she _didn't exist. Astrid jumped when she heard some still-surviving house pet knocking over a garbage bin from next door. _I'll just have a snack, _she thought, _Just a five minute snack_. She swung open the door of the fridge, blocking the kitchen's window, and Pete, from view. Astrid grabbed half of a tortilla from the bottom shelf, chiding herself for her attitude. She broke the tortilla in half again, intending to give the other half to Pete. A peace offering, not that he was even aware of her irritation.

She shut the fridge door just in time to watch three boys hurdle over the fence towards her brother.

Astrid was no longer in control of her own body. She hurled herself out the backdoor, hearing its small window shatter as it met the wall. Sprinting, she skidded next to Little Pete, who was still oblivious. Astrid was only mildly aware of several splinters lodged in her bare feet from the deck. She grabbed Little Pete around the waist—the boys were only about twenty feet from them now—and yanked him upwards, over her shoulder. Pete began screaming, or was it Astrid herself who was screaming? She didn't know, or have time to care. She turned, poised to run back into the house.

Pete was yanked painfully from her grasp. Astrid was hurled backwards, landing painfully on her tailbone. She quickly flipped herself around as Lance held a small steak knife to Pete's neck. Astrid's throat felt like it was closing; almost as if she was the one with the blade pressed against her.

"Pete…" she croaked, her hand reaching out to him. Lance smiled, pressing the blade closer to his neck. Astrid's hand retracted quickly, some part of her hoping the blade would move with it.

"If you take one step towards me, he dies." The two boys behind him wore conflicting emotions. One wore a similar smile to Lance's, while the second looked uncertain. Astrid turned to him.

"Please Charlie…" she pleaded, "Make him stop." Charlie quickly looked away and shook his head.

Shit.

Lance was slowly moving closer to Astrid, forcing her to take several steps towards her house.

"We can take him alive or dead; it's your choice, _genius_." Lance spat the last word, and Astrid realized that Sam wasn't there to help her. She was completely and utterly alone. She closed her eyes, praying silently. She tried to look to Little Pete. He was, as always, totally unaware.

"Alive." She said, nodding. "Please keep him alive."


	15. Confusion

_**AN: This chapter moves fast. I'll try to keep it in check, but to be honest, I'm hyped up on caffeine, and don't know how well this is going to work. If it's shit (OH NO I SWORE?) I'll take it down later. Deal? Deal. Okay, time to rock this.**_

**XXX**

"Man, you don't think he—it—is going to kill the kid, do you?" Charlie looked back to the entrance of the mine, shivering. Lance smacked him along the back of his head.

"Who cares, man? We're going to get what we need. That's what this whole mess is all about. Every man for themselves." Charlie still looked uneasy, and Lance's eyes narrowed.

"Don't be getting any second thoughts about whose side you're on. We all know there's only one answer to that question." Charlie nodded sheepishly and Lance nodded, temporarily satisfied.

"Let's get out of here." Dave said, not sounding the least bit afraid. "I know we need Drake and all, but I don't want to be around when he comes waltzing out of there." Lance gave him a sceptical look. "Well, do you? We gave him the kid, now let's get back to Perdido Beach and watch the action." Lance nodded.

"Fine, let's go."

**XXX**

"**You know, I'm not sure the term 'grocery shopping' really applies anymore." Caine and Diana were at Ralph's, buying their "food" for the week. Diana frowned, the small, wiry shopping cart's front left wheel grinding against her efforts to push it. Caine shrugged.**

"**Fine by me. You know I offered to go alone." Diana rolled her eyes, shoving her weight against the cart. A muffled scraping noise escaped the rubber wheel as it skidded along the tile floor of the grocery store. She smiled as she saw a small black skid mark peel out from underneath it.**

"**Right. So you can buy two thousand more cans of the exact same thing again?" Caine shrugged again.**

"**Food is food."**

**XXX**

_They're not here, _he thought.

_I should have watched them. I was impatient; I wanted to get this done and over with. I rushed things. And now I'm royally fucked. People have heard me by now, I'm sure of it. Only a matter of time before someone rushes over here._

_Shit._

_Where do I go from here?_

**XXX**

"Any changes?" Brianna asked, her voice betraying her near boredom with the question. Rodger resisted the urge to smack her, his muscles going tense with irritation. Lillian was laying in a coma, and her little sister—the only tie Lil had to the outside world—was _bored_. _She's young, _he thought, _just remember that_. He tried to clear his mind.

"No change." Brianna turned and left, but Rodger's eyes flitted back to Lil. His heart seized up as if someone had wrapped both their hands around it and squeezed. The feeling turned to rage, as it usually did. Rage wasn't a common emotion for Rodger, but he had been feeling it more and more lately, bubbling to the surface like an oily bile until he wasn't sure he could control it. He pushed some of Lil's sweat-slicked hair off of her face, and she shook slightly.

"Rodger? I brushed my teeth, but it feels all grainy and crunchy without water." Rodger turned to see Justin standing in the doorway, clinging to the side of the door frame. Rodger felt another pang of guilt; he had to stop neglecting Justin.

"Right. Sorry Justin. I'll get some saltwater from the jug in the garage. Give me a minute." Justin nodded, and Rodger heard his pattering footsteps slowly disappear down the stairs. Rodger sighed, turning to follow after him.

"Bye, Lil."

**XXX**

_Clear your mind, come on. You can do this._

_Where would they be? It's not like they would have _friends _here! People hate them._

_Oh crap._

_What was that noise? Is someone downstairs?_

_Stop that, you're being a paranoid idiot. I'll just… let them know I was here. That will be enough for now._

He slashed the curtains, casting eerie, dusky shadows across their bed. His eyes followed the light, the tip of a blade reflecting some of it onto his face. He blinked, momentarily stunned, then took the knife to the bed.


	16. Petrification

_**AN: I'm on a train and, it is delayed and… Okay, enough with cheesiness. My laptop is due to die shortly, so I'm going to see if I can crank out a chapter (haha… crank… haha… Maze Runner reference… haha). Anyway! On to the chapter! Thank you, as always, to my loyal reviewers and new readers alike. :D**_

**XXX**

Rodger shot out of bed after the first crash.

It had come from next door, the sound jarring him out of what was already a fitful sleep. He tried peering through the window, but the grass had grown too long, blocking the only basement window facing Caine and Diana's. The noise had sounded like wood splintering on stone, but he couldn't match it to a specific object. He tried to trick himself into thinking it was some animal straying too far from the edge of the woods.

But with the current situation, he knew that wasn't true.

Drake Merwin was a different breed of animal.

A part of Rodger wanted to curl up under his blankets, close his eyes tight and wait for morning. But he knew Lillian, Justin and Brianna were upstairs. Brianna could take care of herself, but Justin and Lil…

So he ran.

Rodger went into the garage, a smell of stale oil and grass trimmings meeting him. He wiped a small hole in the thick wall of grime on the garage's only window, squinting to see what was going on. He expected more crashes, screaming, breaking glass, but instead heard only silence. He sighed; he was definitely overreacting. He slumped on the ground, ignoring a small slick of oil underneath him. _Deep breaths, _he thought to himself. Rodger looked to his hands; they were no longer shaking. He turned, walking back towards the door.

And heard the scream. This time, above him.

"_Lil_!" Rodger was never overly fast, but now, with adrenaline fuelling both his body and his mind, he felt like he was. His feet skidded on the kitchen tile, and Rodger grabbed the banister, swinging himself around and up the stairs.

**XXX **

"**I thought you said he was going to kill Sam!" Lance was whining, and it was starting to annoy Dave. There was no longer a good reason for Lance to be in charge, but with few numbers, beggars couldn't be choosers.**

"**He **_**is**_**, you moron. But he's got to take out the King Freak first."**

"**Don't you **_**dare**_** speak to me like that!"**

"**Why shouldn't I? You're the one who-"**

"**Stop it." Both boys turned to see Charlie sitting on the front steps of the Compound, his head bent downwards. Charlie never spoke for himself. He looked from one boy, to the other; his expression solemn.**

"**We just pretty much killed a five year old. You can at least **_**act **_**like it mattered to you." He sneered, another thing he had never seen Charlie do. Dave waltzed up to him, grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking up off of the pavement.**

"**You listen to me. If you ever speak to me like that again—ever **_**look at me **_**like that ever again, I will beat the shit out of you, drag you out into the desert, and feed you to the fucking gaiaphage as a **_**snack**_**! Do you understand?" Dave let go, letting Charlie crumple on the ground beneath him. He spat in his direction, turning to face Lance. He looked speechless. Good.**

**It was time for things to change.**

**XXX**

Sam wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, he had to help the council, help with the letters, help with _everything_. But on the other hand, there was _his _life, and Astrid.

Astrid.

Since Pete had gone missing, Sam had been to over half a dozen council meetings, and still nothing had been decided. Sam hated to look at them. He knew that deep down, they were all thinking the same thing. _Why should we go look for someone who has no purpose, no use? _Sam admitted, he felt a twinge of that same feeling at first. But after seeing Astrid, and what had happened to her, he couldn't bear to think that anymore.

She wasn't really _real _anymore. He hardly ever saw her, and when he did, she seemed like a ghost—a shell of a person. Body alive, but nothing meaningful inside. Sam cringed. He would see her pale hair and skin, the way it just _hung_ there, as if she had just enough life in her to keep her heart beating.

He knew it wouldn't be easy to get Pete back. The Gaiaphage didn't give someone up unless it wanted to. Sam knew it sounded cruel, but screw Lana. He wasn't going to risk lives to bring her back again. This was about Pete, and if Lana wanted to come along, she could.

This was about bringing _Astrid_ back.

**XXX**

**A piercing scream from across the hall made Lil sure she had woken up just in time to die.**

_**Brianna…**_** Lil could hear her running around the house, could hear someone—a boy—cursing.**

**She knew that voice.**

**Lil wanted desperately to help her sister, but she was completely and totally paralyzed. Her eyes were frozen on her bedroom door; not knowing what would happen if it opened.**

**And yet, at the same time, knowing.**

**The battle was in full swing outside. She could hear Brianna screaming, whether with fury or pain Lil couldn't tell. Rodger was cursing. Drake was laughing. Justin was crying.**

**John was silent; and to Lil, that was the most frightening part.**

**Lil had never felt this pain before. The pain of being utterly **_**helpless**_**.**

**A horrible splintering noise filled Lil's ears. Her door cracked open, not that it needed to.**

**The spot where Drake's whip had hit her door began to **_**sizzle**_**, and Lil's chest heaved with the inability to gag. The scent was one of smoke and toxicity, and Lil could tell her eyes were watering. **

**And then he turned around to face her.**

_**AN: A little longer than my recent ones, and yes, I know they're still terribly short. I can't help it. D: Anyway, thank you a million times, review, etc. :D**_


	17. Resolution

"_You!_" He hissed, kicking the rest of Lil's door off of its hinges. Rodger heaved himself at Drake's back, and Lil broke free of her body's grasp just as a hissing _crack _shot through the air. Rodger fell back on the ground, unconscious, and Lil was finally able to vomit as a combination of blood and melted skin began to drain from her fallen ally's body. Drake took two steps towards Lil—covering half the distance between them—when Brianna began a new assault. She had returned from the kitchen with a knife roughly the length of her small forearm.

"Let's see you regenerate with no head!" She sliced the knife through the air, but Drake knocked it out of her hand as if it was a toy. Drake's arm sustained only a small cut as the knife clattered to the floor, Brianna howling as her hand made contact with the now-acidic tentacle. Drake spun around, taking advantage of the girl's momentary distraction.

"Let's… see… you… attack…me…with…no…limbs!" He hissed between whips. Brianna crumpled on the ground next to Rodger, trying with futility to shield herself from Drake. Lil ran for the knife, praying that her sister would live. But halfway there, she noticed something far more lethal sticking out of Drake's belt.

A gun.

Drake's back was facing her. She could grab it.

Brianna's screams stopped, her body going limp.

_No!_

Lil lunged for the gun, but Drake had already turned to face her. She quickly recovered, sliding around him into the hallway. Without thinking, she lunged at the gun again, this time succeeding in taking it just as her back opened up in agony.

Lil had never experienced anything like it. She could _feel_ her flesh disappearing, leaving her body to go God knows where. Now facing away from Drake, she knew she wouldn't have time to shoot him before the whip came down again. Instead, Lil bolted for the open bathroom door sitting open directly in front of her.

The lock slid into place, but she knew that wouldn't hold him off for long. She could hear someone—John, Lil realized—stirring outside the door. _Oh, God. _Lil hit the side of the gun until the chamber revealed itself to her.

One bullet.

Lil howled in frustration. Why would Drake carry around a gun with _one _bullet in it? Had there been gunshots before? Lil couldn't remember. But it didn't matter.

She knew one bullet would never kill Drake Merwin.

But she knew who it could.

Her hands shook with the thoughts she was now considering. Could she leave Brianna, Rodger, John, all of the people she now considered to be her family? Could she really be considering taking the coward's way out? Brianna, she realized with horror, was probably already dead. Rodger was almost there. Drake wouldn't bother finishing him off, she hoped. And John…

Could she do it?

Lil was brought back to reality as she realized that there was no longer any commotion going on in the hallway.

"You heard what that note said?" Drake screamed, sounding more insane than Lil had ever heard him.

"There won't always be someone there to save you!"

And with one last crack, the smell of smoke and toxicity met Lil's nostrils for the last time.

**XXX**

** When Sam went with Edilio to survey the damage, his stomach knotted the moment he walked in the door. What had once been Lil and John's house now stank with a combination of acidity and death. The main floor had been completely trashed—Sam doubted there would be anything to salvage. As much as he hated to do it, he forced himself up the stairs, to where he knew two bodies would be waiting for him.**

** Sam was mildly aware that Edilio was holding him up. Using one hand to steady himself on the banister, he used the second to cover his mouth. Rodger and Brianna were gone—back at the hospital with Dahra and Lana. They weren't sure if they would survive, either. Some wounds, like a bullet Rodger took to the left shoulder, was healed easily enough. But it went without saying that both would never be fully healed. Sam had seen one kid who survived Drake's new ability. His body was riddled with thick, wrinkled scars, and he limped to one side. Sam cringed at the idea of Brianna or Rodger that way.**

** But now, Sam had to deal with John. His body was so mangled Sam couldn't tell some parts of his body for others. His chest had been completely torn open, a green ooze leaking from the wound. Sam tried to stifle a gag and failed, retching over the banister.**

"**It's okay man. Let it out." Edilio was tapping him on the back, trying not to look at what used to be John Terrefino. "Remember, we still have to check…" Edilio trailed off, not wanted to say what they knew must be behind the bathroom door. Sam nodded.**

"**I know. I know just give me a minute." Sam steadied himself, walking around John and heading straight for what was left of the bathroom door, not allowing himself to look down. There was a single whip mark in the door, leaving a three-inch thick gap. Sam turned the knob, praying there was nothing behind it.**

**Let it be empty.**

**Let it all be okay again..**

**Please.**

**Sam had to fight the urge to retch again, seeing it.**

**No mess.**

**Just a single pool of blood, leaking out of a single bullet hole.**

**Lil was dead.**

_**AN: THE END. I wrote this months ago, but was too lazy to post it. Sorry for the depression. That's just how the story goes! I'm going to be working on a Hunger Games fanfic, probably just a collection of one-shots, so check that out. Have a good summer! **___


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